Too Far Gone
by lilxjames
Summary: Lucas and Peyton had a one night stand one week before his wedding to Lindsay. Unable to stay in Tree Hill after his wedding, Lucas & Lindsay moved to NYC. He comes home 3 years later to find more changes than he could have ever imagined! FINALLY UPDATED!
1. Home Sweet Home

Chapter 1: Home sweet home

**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Tree Hill or any of the characters in it. The song during flashback #2 is "You and Me" by Lifehouse.

_I am finally home_ was the only thought running in Lucas's mind as he stepped out of Tree Hill airport with his wife of three years, Lindsay by his side.

For the past three years the couple had been living in NYC. They had decided to permanently move there after they came back from their honeymoon. It was easier for Lindsay to do her job there, and Lucas needed to move away from his past in Tree Hill. It was a hard move, leaving all his friends and family behind, but he knew that in order for his marriage to work out, he needed to get as far away from Tree Hill as possible, as far away from the one person who meant the world to him, the only woman who had his whole heart, the woman who despite his best efforts came back to haunt him everyday, the woman by the name of Peyton Sawyer.

It didn't mean that he didn't love his wife, because he did. But when he compared the love he felt for her to the love he had felt for Peyton, it always fell short. He had given Peyton his full heart at the mere age of 16, and he had never gotten it back.

There had never been a moment in the past three years that he didn't miss Tree Hill, not a single moment when her heart didn't crave his home town, his family and friends. But he had always been too much of a coward to go back, too afraid to go back and see _her _again.

But last week when his 8 year old sister called him with some 'super exciting' news, he realized how much he was missing on the lives of his loved ones and that's when he knew that he had to go back. It was time to face his fears and go back to the people he loved.

He smiled as he remembered the excited voice of his sister over the phone.

--_Flashback—_

_Lucas Scott woke to the shrill ringing of his phone. Sitting up groggily, he looked at the called ID to see the word __**Mom **__flashing on the screen. Smiling slightly, he flipped open his phone and put it to his ears._

"_Hey mom", he greeted._

"_It's not mom, silly", said the giggling voice of his 8-year sister._

"_Hey Lily-bear", Lucas said his smile widening as he heard the cheerful voice of her sister._

"_Hey Lukey pooh! What's up?" Lily asked._

"_Lukey-pooh?! Where do you come up with these names Lil, there's a new one every week", Lucas asked amused._

"_I haven't seen you in 3 years Luke. Making up these names is my favorite past time cuz it makes me feel closer to you", Lily said matter-of-factly, with so much sincerity and sadness in her voice that it made Lucas's heart break._

"_I miss you too Lily-bear", Lucas said softly._

_There was a couple of seconds of silence on Lily's side, but when she spoke again her voice was cheerful and excited again._

"_Well I have some super exciting news for you. Guess what?" Lily said, her voice shaking will ill-concealed excitement._

"_What?" Lucas said copying her excited tone._

"_I made it on the Tree Hill Elementary basketball team", Lily all but screamed out, and Lucas could just imagine her jumping up and down her brown curls bouncing on her shoulders and her eyes dancing with happiness._

"_Wow Lil, that's awesome. I am so proud of you" Lucas said, his heart burning with pride at the accomplishment of her sister._

"_Mommy said that you will be", Lily said giggling at her mom's wisdom._

"_Well mommy was right, wasn't she. But Lil-bear how the sudden change of mind? I never thought you to be a basketball person. What happened to the coloring and dress up parties you used to be obsessed with?"_

"_That was ages ago Luke", Lily said in a frustrated voice and Luke could just see her rolling her eyes. "A year ago, Uncle Nathan started teaching Jamie basketball and I asked him if he could teach me too. Mommy said that daddy played basketball too, so I decided to give it a shot. Uncle Nathan, Jamie and I practiced everyday and Uncle Nathan said that I was really good, just as good as Jamie. So when the tryouts came, Uncle Nathan told me that I should go for it. He even came with me to cheer me on, and when I made it to the team, he was so proud. Jamie made it too, you know", Lily explained going a mile a minute. But Lucas had stopped listening when Lily mentioned Nathan training his sister for basketball. It was supposed to be him in Nathan's place. He was supposed to teach her the game. But here he was 1000s of miles away while Nathan took his place in Lily's life. He wasn't angry at Nathan. In fact it was the complete opposite. He was grateful to him for treating Lily like his own sister, for being there for her when he couldn't be. But he was jealous, jealous at the bond that his sister shared with Nathan, the bond that he had never been able to create between the two. As he heard the zealous voice of his sister as he went into the details of the tryouts, it was like being hit by a ton of bricks._

"_Luke, Luke are you even listening to me?" Lucas was snapped out of his thoughts at the indignant voice of his sister._

"_Of course I am Lily", Lucas replied his voice a little hoarse._

"_Okay good. But anyways I have to go now, I am going on a play date with Ashley"._

"_Alright Lil-bear. Have fun okay?"_

"_I will. Bye Luke", and with that she hung up the phone leaving a flat tone on the other end of the line._

_That was how Lindsay found him that morning. With a phone to his ears and a far away look in his eyes._

"_Hey Luke, you okay?" she asked concerned at the way her husband was acting._

_Coming back to reality at the sound of her voice, he looked in her eyes, and said the words he should have said a long time ago, "We are going back to Tree Hill"._

_--End Flashback—_

Lindsay didn't understand his sudden urge to go back to Tree Hill, and in all honestly, he didn't expect her to. But his mind was made up, he was not going to waste his life here in New York away from the people he loved and miss out on the countless of memories. He wasn't going to let his fear and conscience hold him back from doing the right thing any more.

After countless arguments, Lindsay succumbed to the fact that Lucas wasn't going to change his mind, and here they were a week later standing outside Tree Hill airport.

Lindsay looked around disinterestedly not understanding for the world why someone would chose to live in this small town over the magnificent New York City. Sure he had his family and friends were here, but moving permanently?

Shaking her head, she looked at her husband whose eyes were roaming around the crowded airport taking everything in, the sights, sounds and smell of his home town. Even three years later it was still the same, but at the same time so different. The physical appearance of the town might be the same but the people in it had changed, he didn't even know where he stood in their lives anymore, but he knew that nothing mattered other than the fact that he was finally here.

Lindsay gave Lucas a couple of minutes to do dome reminiscing before snapping him out of his daze.

"Luke you ready to go?" She asked shaking his shoulders slightly.

Coming back to reality, he shook his head trying to clear away some of his thoughts.

"Yea, let's go", he said without looking at her.

"You okay baby?" Lindsay asked slipping her hand in his.

"I am fine, just a little nervous", Lucas said still looking straight ahead.

Lindsay nearly laughed at her husband's confession. "Nervous? Luke baby why would you be nervous? You are coming home to your family and friends, there's nothing to be nervous about."

"I haven't seen anyone of them for the past three years. Their lives are so different and I don't know where I stand in it anymore", Lucas mumbled looking at Lindsay for the first time they had arrived at the airport.

"Yea it's been a long time, but that doesn't change the fact that everyone here loves you. You have a special place in each and every one of their hearts and that's not going anywhere. They're going to be so happy to see you, you're going to make them happy Luke. Just think of Lily, Karen, Nathan, Haley and all your friends and how happy they will be to see you among them again. There's nothing to be nervous about, I promise", Lindsay said soothingly.

Give her a small smile, Lucas nodded his head to show that he understood where she's coming from. But the reality was so far from it. Her words had made him more nervous than before. It was true that everyone loved him, but her words took him back to the one night that he was desperately trying to erase from his memory. One of the best and worst nights of his life. That night one week before his wedding to Lindsay, the night that has haunted his nights for so long, the reason why he had never had a clear conscience.

Shaking his head, Lucas tried in vain to get rid of that memory, or at least shove it in the back of his head for the time being, because past experience had taught him that no matter how hard he tried that night will always he embedded in his memory.

The way she screamed his name, the way she told him she loved him in the breathy whisper of hers that he loved, _I love you, Luke. I always have and always will. Nothing will change that. _

No, no, Lucas admonished himself as he snapped back to reality. This was not the time for this. Not the time to rehash the past. He had to get back to reality because nothing good will come out of living in the past.

Once they had reached the cab depot, he led Lindsay to the nearest vacant cab. After giving the cabbie the address of their destination and loading their luggage in the cab's truck, Lucas and Lindsay got inside the back seat of the cab and they were off.

Lucas hadn't told anyone in Tree Hill about his move. He wanted to surprise them, see the looks on their faces when they see him after three years. He wanted them to be in their everyday element when he sees them; it would give him a better idea of their life. By pre-announcing his visit, he knew that they will want to throw him a welcome home party and try to act like nothing has changed in the last three years, when nothing could be further from the truth. So after a long talk with Lindsay a two nights ago, they had decided it would be best to go unannounced.

Lucas looked around the dark town as the cab made its way from one street to another. It was 7:30 in the evening, and in a small town like Tree Hill, activities tend to have ceased by that time. Every now and then, something would come up that would take him on a trip down memory lane. He was still gazing outside, when Lindsay's excited voice startled his peace.

"Look Luke, that's the church we got married in", she said pointing to the dark building on her side of the road.

Lucas whipped his head so fast at her comment that he was sure he had cricked his neck.

Lindsay was still pointing to the building and even through the darkness he could clearly make out the structure of the church in which his life had changed three years ago. And ever after all his time he still wasn't sure if it was for the better or worse.

"It was such a magical day wasn't it Luke? It was definitely the best day of my life", Lindsay sighed in satisfaction as she thought back to the day of her wedding.

Lucas looked at the happy face of his wife and closed his eyes remembering the day that had changed his life forever-his wedding.

_--Flashback—_

"_If anyone has any objections over the marriage of these two souls, speak now or forever hold your peace", the pastor said in a loud and clear voice looking around at the wedding guests to see if anyone had anything to say._

_At his words, Lucas' eyes were immediately drawn to the blond sitting in the second pew. He wondered if she was going to say anything. She had said that she was going to let him go two weeks ago in the gym, but after that night a week ago, he had no idea what was going through her head. To be completely honest, his head was all over the place since that night as well, and he wasn't sure about anything anymore. Looking over to the blond he wondered if she would be selfish enough to stop the marriage or would she be selfless enough to keep quiet, bury her feelings for his happiness and watch him get married to another woman. But what he saw instead broke his heart. She was looking anywhere but at him. Brooke had a firm grip on her hand and she looked like it was taking all that was in her to not break down right there. But despite her obvious pain, she kept quiet, breaking her heart into a million pieces so that he could have his happy ending._

_Satisfied that no one had any objections, the pastor once again directed his attention to the couple waiting to be wed. Looking towards Lucas he said,_

"_Do you, Lucas Eugene Scott, take Lindsay Evelyn Strauss as your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health, in good times and bad times, until death do you part?"_

_Lucas felt Lindsay squeeze his hand and he knew this was it. These two words are going to change his life forever. _

"_I do", Lucas breathed and he could sense more than feel the heartbreak of a certain blond sitting in the audience. _

_Lindsay gave him a blinding smile, but he didn't see any of it. His heart was conflicted, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had made his decision._

_He was brought back to reality as the pastor repeated the vows, this time to Lindsay._

"_Do you Lindsay Evelyn Strauss take Lucas Eugene Scott as your lawfully wedded husband in sickness and health, in good times and bad times, till death do you part?"_

"_I do", Lindsay said without a second's hesitation. At her words, Lucas' heart sank. He felt like a jerk for wishing that she would have said no. Her words set their marriage in stone. There was no turning back now. But he had wanted this hadn't he? He had pushed Peyton away to be with Lindsay, then why was there a pit of dread and remorse bubbling in his stomach?_

"_I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss your bride"._

_Lucas quickly lowered his lips onto his new bride and kissed her softly. The kiss was quick nothing more than a peck, but looking at the radiant smile that graced Lindsay's face after he came up told him that it was enough for her. _

"_Ladies and gentlemen, I now present you Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Scott", the pastor said beaming at the young couple as everyone around them clapped and cheered._

_The guilt was crushing him once again as he fought the urge to find a certain blond in the crowd. Forcing himself to look at Lindsay he saw how happy she looked, she didn't deserve this, any of it. She had done nothing but give him unconditional love and he was still conflicted about his heart on their wedding day. Shaking his head, he pasted on a fake smile on his face and walked arm in arm with his wife down the aisle to his reception._

_When the newly wedded couple arrived at their reception, the room was filled to the brim. Everyone stood up to give them another round of applause as Lucas took Lindsay to the middle of the dance floor for their first dance as man and wife. _

_What day is it? And in what month?  
This clock never seemed so alive  
I can't keep up and I can't back down  
I've been losing so much time_

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do  
Nothing to lose  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you._

_The couple danced slowly with the rhythm of the song as the crowd looked on._

"_I love you Luke, and I always will", Lindsay whispered without taking her head of Lucas's shoulder._

_Her words once again sent Lucas spiraling back to the night one week ago when __**she**__ had said such similar words to him, 'I love you, Luke. I always have and always will.'_

_Closing his eyes, he whispered, "I love you too". Pretending for one second that instead of his wife, it was __**her**__ in his arms. The moment was short lived as Lindsay brought Lucas' face down for a kiss, as the audience oohed and aahed the new couple. In the happy moment no one noticed the tears that had suddenly filled the eyes of a petite blond sitting in the audience, not being able to watch the tenderness between the couple. Especially since she was the one who could have had all of this with him._

"_Excuse me", she said getting up abruptly much to the surprise of her best friend._

"_Peyton where are you going?" Brooke asked, concern etched in her eyes. _

"_I am just going to the bathroom, I'll be right back", Peyton said trying to keep up her brave front till she is safely secured in a bathroom stall, where she can let her emotions lose._

"_Alright, but don't be too long", Brooke whispered giving her a hug._

_One of the things that I want to say just aren't coming out right  
I'm tripping on words  
You've got my head spinning  
I don't know where to go from here_

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do  
Nothing to prove  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_Lucas came up from the kiss to find Peyton getting up abruptly from her seat and after a hushed conversation with Brooke, she started making her way towards the door. Lucas couldn't help but stare at her as she walked further and further away from him. His eyes roamed from her long, tanned legs to the beautiful dress she was wearing. It was a forest green strapless that came right up to her knees. If you didn't look at her face, she seemed like the image of perfection. Lucas longed for her to turn, even if for just a second so that he could see her beautiful face. To see her eyes that had always reflected what she had been feeling. He knew it was wrong. He was married, he shouldn't be thinking like this about other women. But to him Peyton could never be just another woman, she never was and she never will be. She meant way too much to him to just be part of the crowd. _

_There's something about you now  
I can't quite figure out  
Everything she does is beautiful  
Everything she does is right_

_He watched her till she reached the door. There she stopped for a second as if contemplating about something. He saw her straighten her back indicating to him that she had made up her mind. It was funny that even after so many years, he could still read her like an open book. _

_Peyton knew from the second she had gotten up from her seat that Lucas's eyes had been on her. She could sense his eyes roaming her body and she couldn't help but smile wistfully as she remembered all the times he used to do that during their senior year. Reaching the door, she put one hand on the door knob and took a steady breath. But instead of pushing the door open and walking outside like she should have, she slowly turned around and met the searching eyes of Lucas._

_'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do  
Nothing to lose  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you  
and me and all other people with nothing to do  
Nothing to prove  
And it's you and me and all other people  
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you_

_Lucas felt his breath catch in his throat as Peyton's green eyes locked with his blue ones. It felt as if everything around them had disappeared leaving just the two of them in their own little world. Lucas searched her eyes and felt his heart break into two as he saw all the suppressed pain, sorrow, fear, hurt and love reflecting in those green eyes he had always loved. All those emotions had been caused by him. He had promised her that he would never hurt her, but today he was reason behind all the pain she was going through._

_Looking into his conflicted eyes, Peyton gave him a small smile as sign of reassurance that she would be okay, but he saw through it. She would never be okay, not after the way he had broken her. _

_Wiping a stray tear that had fell from her eyes, she gave him a small thumbs-up to show that she was happy for him, and with that she was gone. And despite being in a room so crowded with people, Lucas had never felt more alone in his life._

_What day is it?  
And in what month?  
This clock never seemed so alive_

--_End Flashback—_

That was the last time he had seen Peyton. She wasn't there when he came back from his honeymoon and neither was she at the farewell party Nathan and Haley had thrown him and Lindsay before they had left for New York.

To anyone else, that day was perfect, magical even, but to him there was nothing magical or perfect in it. It was simply a life changing day for him, nothing more nothing less.

He was so engrossed in his memories that he didn't feel the cab stop in front of his childhood house. It wasn't until Lindsay shook his shoulder that he realized that they had reached their destination.

"Honey, you zoned out again", Lindsay said with a laugh, "we're here".

Lucas nodded and followed Lindsay out of the cab. Once he was out, unloaded their luggage, paid the cabbie his fare and after bidding him a good night, he turned to look at the house that had been his home for the better part of his life. He had so many memories here; he couldn't understand how he had been able to stay away for so long.

"Seems like they're having some sort of a party or something", Lindsay noted. Looking around Lucas realized that she was right, there were about 5 extra cars in the driveway, all the lights in the house were on and he could distinctly hear the voices and laughter coming from inside the house.

"That's good, we'll be able to surprise everyone at the same time", Lucas said as he made his way to the door leading to the kitchen, Lindsay trailing behind him.

Reaching the door, he reached out to grasp the knob which was the only thing separating him from his family. Taking a deep breath, he lightly turned the knob and found the door to be unlocked.

Pushing the door further open, he saw that they were indeed having a party. A birthday celebration to be more exact. Everyone was gathered around the kitchen table on which stood a majestic princesses cake with candles all around it and a big number 3 in the middle. He wondered whose birthday it was. It was definitely a girl's, but who? Both Lily and Natalie had their birthdays in a couple of months, so who was this child whose birthday his family and friends were celebrating?

Everyone was too busy talking, laughing and taking pictures around the birthday girl (whose face was obscured by the crowd of people around her) to notice that they had company. Taking a couple of steps inside the house, Lucas turned around and loudly shut the door behind him.

Surprised by the sudden sound, Brooke was the first one to turn around to check what the sudden distraction was. Her eyes found Lucas and her facial expression turned from a delightful one to a completely shocked one. By this time everyone had turned around to see what Brooke was staring at, and in a couple of seconds the previously loud room was completely silent as its occupant stared, stunned at the couple in front of them.

"What's going on?" said the little voice of the birthday girl, surprised at the sudden silence and lack of attention. She seemed to be the only one in the room unfazed by the arrival of the two new people.

Lucas' eyes were immediately drawn to the voice and he found himself staring at a little girl standing behind the cake. Now that everyone's attention was on him, he could clearly see her but from her position he doubted if she could see them.

She was without a doubt one of the cutest kid he had ever seen, and there was something about her that immediately drew him to her. She had a party hat securely fastened over her curly blonde locks that were framing her face and going right up to her shoulder. As his eyes roamed her face, she reminded him of someone he knew, but it was when his eyes met hers that he took a sharp intake of breath.

Her eyes were the same exact color as the ones he saw every morning in his own reflection.

**A/N:** This is a Leyton fic but Lindsay will be a big part in the story for a while. She will add lots and lots of spice to the story! This story takes place 3 years after Luke and Lindsay's wedding so there will be a many flashbacks in the next couple of chapters.

So for the further development of this story, I need you guys' help. I need your opinion on who Brooke should be: Owen or Chase. I like her with both the guys so I wouldn't mind writing her with either of the two. So please tell me what you guys think.

I hope you guys liked the chapter and please leave a **REVIEW! **They make me so happy and motivated to keep writing! I'll put up the next chapter once I have **10** reviews!


	2. Greetings, shocks & brotherly advice

Chapter 2: Greetings, shocks and some brotherly advice

_Last Chapter_

"_What's going on?" said the little voice of the birthday girl._

_Lucas' eyes were immediately drawn to the voice and he found himself staring at a little girl standing behind the cake._

_As his eyes roamed her face, she reminded him of someone he knew, but it was when his eyes met hers that he took a sharp intake of breath. Her eyes were the same exact color as the ones he saw every morning in his own reflection._

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
_

"Mommy is everything ok?" The little girl asked again when she received no answer, tugging at the skirt of the woman next to her.

Lucas' eyes left the little girl's face and went on the woman whose skirt the girl was tugging.

One look in those beautiful green eyes was enough for him to stop breathing. It was Peyton, and god did she look beautiful. Her hair was done in waves and she had minimal amount of makeup on, the look that suited her most-natural. She had grown in the three years he had been away, she had a more mature and grown-up look on her face and in his eyes it just added to her beauty.

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. Even after three long years just one look at her was enough for his heart to go out of control.

Not bearing to keep up with the intensity of his stare, Peyton quickly broke eye contact and looked down to where he daughter was impatiently waiting for someone to tell her what was going on.

As she broke eye-contact with him, Lucas fell all the wind being knocked out of him and everything suddenly felt cold and empty.

It was also then that he realized that the little girl had called her 'mommy'. His eyes widened in surprise at the full impact of those words hit him. Peyton was a mother, she had a child with someone else, hell she could be married, and that thought was enough to bring back the heartache he had been trying to suppress for all these years. Was this how Peyton had felt when he had gotten married Lindsay?

He didn't have much time to contemplate on that thought because at that exact moment he saw someone rush towards him and throw their arms around his neck in a bone-crushing hug.

Looking down, he saw the honey-blond hair of his best friend as she clung to him as if her life depended on it.

"Can't breathe, Hales", Lucas fake gasped with a big smile on his face as Haley immediately loosened her hold on him.

Looking down at her face, Lucas could see tears shining in her eyes as she hugged him once again.

"Oh my god Luke, I can't believe you're actually here. After three years of not bothering to show your face, you're here all of a sudden. You have no idea how much we missed you, and you just show here unannounced without any hint or clue…."

"Hales give him a chance to breath", Nathan said smiling as he cut across Haley's ramble.

"Shut up Nathan, I haven't seen him for three years, I have a whole right to go completely psycho on him", Haley said pouting, giving her husband a mock-glare.

Looking at the interaction between his brother and best friend/ sister-in-law, Lucas burst into laughter. Despite all the time that had passed some things always remained the same. This was how life should be like, surrounded by the people you love.

"It's nice to see you too Hales", he said sincerely as Haley's face broke into a huge grin.

"Oh I've missed my best friend Luke", Haley said kissing him on the cheek as he pulled her into another hug.

"Hey what about the brother?" Nathan asked in mock anger, "Best friend trumps brother, I see how it is".

"Aww man, I have missed you Nate", Lucas smiled as he let go of Haley and walked and gave his brother a big hug.

"Not the hug Luke", Nathan protested as Lucas let go of him, "I have a reputation to keep, and with the big mouth ladies we have present in this room, I would rather not be seen giving out hugs or acting like a pansy".

"You know little brother, just for that comment I'll give you another hug", Lucas laughed as he pulled Nathan into another hug as the whole room burst into laughter.

"You dawg Brooke lemme see your camera. I have got to take a picture of this. Just imagine the amount of money I'll make it if I sold it to the local newspaper. I can just see the headlines, '_Nathan Scott sheds tears at he and older brother Lucas Scott reunite after 3 years'",_ Skills said in a dreamlike tone making the whole room go in another fit of laughter as Nathan looked at scowling.

"You better be joking man, because I am sure Bevin would like to keep you in this world a little longer", Nathan said glaring, but the smile on his face said otherwise.

Looking around the group with a little smile on his face, his eyes landed on the face of another one of his closest friends who was looking at him with a small smile on her face as she watched him interact with everyone else.

"I know it's been a long time Brooke, but don't I even get a hug?" Luke asked pouting as he looked at the corner Brooke Davis was standing.

Her smile widened as she made her way towards him never breaking eye contact. He opened his arms as she stopped in front of him and without a second's delay, she flung herself in his waiting arms.

"Gosh Luke, it's so good to finally see you again", Brooke whispered.

"It's great to see you too Brooke", Lucas said sincerely as she stepped away from him.

As Brooke moved away from him, Lucas moved to the back of the room where the two most important people in his life stood waiting for him to be done greeting everyone else.

Stopping a couple of feet away from the little girl, he opened his arms wide as his little sister came running into his waiting arms tears running down her face.

"Oh Lil-bear, don't cry. I am here, it's going to be okay, I promise", Lucas soothed his distressed sister.

"I must be dreaming", Lily whispered as she traced her small hand all over his face.

"Lil you're not dreaming, I swear. Here look at me, I am right here", Luke whispered taking her small hands and placing a kiss on each one of them.

"I missed you Luke, so, so much", Lily said as she kissed his cheek.

"I missed you too Lil-bear, but I am not going anywhere, not anymore", Lucas promised as he picked her up in his arms.

"Woah Luke, put me down. I am big girl I don't need to be carried", Lily protested as Luke put her back on the floor.

"Wow Lily you sure are a big girl, I can't pick you up without hurting my back in the process", Lucas teased as his younger sister stuck her tongue at him.

Enclosing her small hands in between her large hands, Lucas turned around to face the one person who meant the world to him. Without whom he wouldn't have survived one day in this world. The only one who has always been on his side no matter what happened. His mother.

Karen stood in the corner, watching her son in front of her with tears in her eyes. She had dreamed for this moment for the past 3 years, ever since Lucas left Tree Hill in the first place. She was very upset when Lucas had decided to move to NYC, but like the mother she was, she stood by her son's decision and supported him through it knowing that it was his life and he was old enough to know what was right and wrong. But that didn't meant that her heart didn't break when he left, or that everyday she woke up wishing that Lucas would come home realizing that the move to NY was a mistake.

But now that he was in front of her, she knew that it was reality because it was so much different than any dream she had had in the past 3 years. She couldn't help letting a few tears slip as her boy made his way towards looking at her the way only a son can look at his mother.

Lucas stopped in front of his mother as he saw a couple of tears escape her eyes and trail down her cheeks. Bringing his hand slowly to her face, he gently wiped the tears off her face as Karen closed her eyes in satisfaction at the feeling of her son's skin on hers after three years.

"You were right mom. Moving to NY was a mistake", Lucas whispered as Karen opened her eyes, and without another word, he enveloped his mother into a long awaited hug. No words were spoken as the mother and son embraced after what seemed like an eternity ago. As the people in the kitchen looked at the tender moment, they realized that no words were needed to define the love Lucas Scott shared with his mother.

Lucas was so immersed at the feeling of being hugged by his mother again, that he was completely oblivious to the fidgeting of the little kids that had started around him.

Stepping out of the hug, Lucas kissed his mother on the cheek and looked at the one person left in the kitchen who had shown no emotion at his arrival. Even right now her eyes were looking directly across the room, showing no indication that she was aware that he was in the same room with her.

He didn't know how to greet her, what to say to her, how to act around her. What was he supposed to say to her after the way they had left things? She meant so much to him, but he had no idea what to do. Should he just ignore her like she had been doing ever since he got here? No, that would be too suspicious, not to mention completely rude. How was he supposed to pretend she didn't exist when she standing right in front of him? But then what? Should he just go greet her casually and pretend like nothing had happened? Even though this seemed to be the best option, he knew he couldn't do that. He can't pretend to be casual with her, not when that was the last thing their relationship was.

He was saved from further internal conflict as he heard Lindsay clear her throat from the back of the room. It was obvious that everyone was so happy to see Lucas again that they had completely disregarded her appearance in the kitchen.

"Oh yeah, guys Lindsay's here too", Lucas said feeling stupid at announcing the obvious as he unnecessarily pointed to where she was standing. She had gotten everyone's attention when she had cleared her throat, but no one seemed really eager to go forward and greet her.

Much to everyone's shock, it was Peyton who was the first one to break the uncomfortable silence.

"It's nice to see you Lindsay", she said softly as she gave her a small smile, but her green eyes that usually held so much sparkle in them were carefully devoid of any emotions.

"Thanks Peyton", Lindsay replied giving her a hesitant smile.

Lucas towards Peyton one more time to find that once again she was purposely avoiding his eyes. He wished she would just look him, let him see in those beautiful green eyes that felt like home to him. He knew that she could feel his gaze upon her but made no effort to meet his eyes. Sighing slightly, he shook his head and turned his attention to the rest of the group.

He saw Brooke, Haley and Karen taking Peyton's lead and going up to Lindsay giving her a brief hug telling her that they were happy to see her there, not failing to notice how fake their smiles were. He saw Nathan, Skills, Mouth, Bevin, Deb and Owen nod to her and give her small smiles not sure how to act around her. And Lily just looked at her with apparent dislike on her face. He was very surprised to see the sour look on his sister's face as she looked at his wife. Lily liked Lindsay when they got married 3 years, in fact everyone of then were okay with Lindsay three years go, they might not have liked her but they never had to be fake around her. What caused the sudden change of heart?

Haley, Brooke and Karen returned to their original spot and an very uncomfortable silence overtook the room as no one knew what to say next.

The silence however was short lived and broken by the shrill voice of a very angry birthday girl.

"Are we ever going to cut my cake, or are you guys going to continue staring at those two?" she said pointing angrily at Lucas and Lindsay before running out of the kitchen and into the backyard leaving a surprised audience behind.

Stunned at her sudden outburst, Peyton was the first one to recover.

"Al wait", she shouted as she made to run after her little girl, but before she could take more than 2 steps, Brooke's voice stopped her.

"Wait Peyt, let me get her", she said softly as she made her way after her angry god daughter giving Peyton's hand a light squeeze as she passed by her.

"She's going to be really angry Luke, you took her shining moment and Ally don't take kindly to having the spot light taken away from her, especially on her birthday", Lily told her brother matter-of-factly.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt her birthday celebration", Lucas said looking guiltily around, upset at making the little girl cry.

"It's not your fault Lucas", Peyton said quietly, meeting Lucas's gaze for the first time before quickly looking away and following Brooke and her daughter outside.

Peyton had just stepped outside the kitchen when she saw Brooke and Ally coming towards her. Brooke was carrying Ally who looked relatively calmer, but Peyton could distinctly see the tear tracks visible on her daughter's face.

Ally looked up to see her mother standing next to the kitchen door and immediately drew her arms, a motion to tell Peyton that she wanted her to be in her arms.

Peyton immediately complied her daughter's wish by taking her in her arms, and sighed in satisfaction as her little girl immediately buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

Peyton held Ally close to her as she tried to calm her racing heart and tingling nerves. Her daughter always had a way to put her to peace no matter how stressed she was, and this was just one of those times. Seeing Lucas again after all this time made Peyton realize just how much she had missed him. All the feelings that she had buried so long ago, immediately resurfaced after just one look at him. Even after 3 years, he still had the same effect on her.

Realizing that everyone was waiting in the kitchen for them, Peyton carried Ally inside and carefully put her back down, lowering herself until she was eye-level with her daughter. She softly rubbed off the creases on her birthday dress and brought her hand to her face to wipe of the remnants of tears that were still on her cheeks.

"You ready to cut the cake baby?" She asked softly as she looked into the blue eyes of her daughter. The same eyes that were a constant reminded of what she had lost, eyes that made it impossible for her to move on.

"Will there be any interrception this time?" Ally asked loudly, looking proud of herself at using such a big word.

"Its interruption honey", Brooke said as the whole kitchen smiled at the cuteness of it all.

"Whatever Aunt Brooke, I bet you couldn't say such a big word when you were three", Ally said holding up 3 fingers as if to make a point.

"Alright smarty pants, enough of the smart talk. You ready to cut the cake?" Karen asked as she came forward with a big smile on her face.

"Yes Grandma, but you'll have to light all the candles again, they're all dark now", Lily said pouting as she looked at the blown off candles.

"Well that shouldn't be hard should it baby girl?" Skills asked as he came forward with a lighter, "That's exactly what your Uncle Skills is here for".

Once all the candles were lighted, everyone gathered around the table once again and Brooke took out her camera to continue her photo session that was interrupted before.

Karen looked over at Lucas and Lindsay who were standing awkwardly in a corner not knowing what to do.

Going over to them, she said, "Why don't you and Lindsay go to your room, drop your luggage, freshen up and then come meet us here for dinner?"

As much as Lucas would have liked to stay here and watch Ally cut her cake, he knew his mother was right. He was extremely out of place here and it would be much better if he left them to their celebration without being the extra wheel.

"Sounds like a plan mom", Lucas replied as he and Lindsay made their way to his room across the house.

Karen watched her son go with a heavy heart. She had seen the conflict in his eyes before he had agreed with her. She knew he wanted to stay here and watch Ally cut the cake and be part of the family, but it was just too soon. A lot had happened in the past three years and it will take some time for Lucas to get used to all the changes that had taken place in his absence.

She was shaken out of her thoughts as an overly excited Ally came running to her and grasped her hand in her little ones.

"Let's go grandma, I want you to stand next to me".

Smiling at the little girl who had brought so much joy in her life, Karen followed her granddaughter to the table and took her place next to her where she had indicated.

"Alright Al, close your eyes, make a wish and blow the candle", Haley called to the birthday girl, but to her utter surprise she shook her head.

"What you don't want to make a wish?" Brooke asked incredulously. Ally was never one to back down from making a wish; she always wanted one thing or another.

"No, I already got what I wished for", Ally said very seriously as she blew out the candle.

Brooke paled at her goddaughter's words and as her eyes met her best friend's she knew by her wide eyes and pale face that she was thinking the same exact thing.

--

15 minutes later, the kitchen was finally cleared. The cake had been cut and the kids had gotten enough cake to pacify them at least for a while. Right now all the kids were playing in the living room while the women worked in the kitchen to get dinner ready.

Nathan walked aimlessly out of the kitchen, his heart lighter and yet heavier than it had ever been. On one hand his brother was finally home after such a long time but on the other hands, he knew that his return will reveal many buried secrets that would end up hurting one of his closest friends. He didn't know she was going to get through this. She saw the emptiness in her eyes, the paleness of her skin ever since he Lucas had stepped foot in the kitchen. All he could hope was for her and her daughter to get through it without severe consequences.

Seeing Lindsay making her way into the kitchen, he called out to her, "Hey Lindsay, where's Luke?"

"He's in the room. He said he'll be out in a couple of minutes", Lindsay replied.

Nodding his thanks to her, Nathan made his way to the room he hadn't entered in ages.

Reaching in front of the door, he quietly knocked on the door.

When he got no reply, he tried once more.

Again no answer.

Turning the door knob, he found the door to be unlocked. Pushing the door open a little more, he found the room empty. Stepping inside, he saw the door to the balcony open and a dark, brooding figure sitting in one of the many chairs scattered around the place.

Walking to the balcony, he stepped outside as was immediately hit a cold gust of wind.

"Hey, feel like a little company?" Nathan asked as he took a seat across from him.

"No, not at all. Make yourself comfortable, it's not like my answer would have made any difference to you", Lucas answered smirking.

"It wouldn't. You know I do whatever pleases me. Since when have I listened to anyone other than Haley?" Nathan shot back, his traditional smirk back in place.

"God I've miss this", Lucas said softly as he gazed in the darkness around him.

"What the darkness or talking to me?" Nathan teased trying to light the mood.

"Both I guess. But I've missed you younger bro", Lucas replied sincerely.

"Tree Hill wasn't the same without you", Nathan said honestly.

"As if?" Lucas scoffed, "Everything's so different, so many things have changed, I don't even know where I belong anymore".

"Time doesn't stop Luke. Things are definitely different and countless things have changed, but the one thing that haven't change is your place in our hearts. No amount of time can change that. It's true that it will take you a little time to get used to everything that's been happening around here, but you've got to trust me when I say that we are all really happy to have you back Luke", Nathan said earnestly.

"Not everyone", Lucas said bitterly before he could stop himself.

And Nathan knew immediately who he was referring to.

"She's happy to see you too Luke, she's just surprised. You've been gone for three years and you suddenly show up out of the blue. It'll take her some time to get used to your presence but that doesn't mean she isn't happy to see you again", Nathan said, knowing that what he had said wasn't entirely true. But Lucas didn't need to know that.

"She had a daughter huh?" Lucas asked with a little smile.

"Yeah. Her name's Allison, and she's the pride and joy of Peyton's life", Nathan confirmed as he thought of his goddaughter.

"She seems like a great mother", Lucas noted his heart aching as he pictured the way Peyton was attending to her daughter after Brooke had brought her back.

"She's great, it's like she was born to be a mother. She has changed so much ever since Ally's been born. Nothing means more to her than her daughter", Nathan explained.

"I always knew Peyton would be a great mother, but seeing her be a great mother, that's a completely different image", Lucas said softly as if talking to himself.

"No matter how you imagine things Luke, the reality is always so much different", Nathan said wisely.

"Do you know anything about the father?" Lucas suddenly blurted out.

"I don't think it's my place to tell you anything about this Luke", Nathan said simply.

"Do you at least know who he is?"

"Luke- I can't—"

"I am not going to interrogate you on this Nathan. I know Peyton trusts you with her secrets and I am not asking you betray that. I just want to know if you know him".

"Yes, I do", Nathan said without meeting Lucas' eyes.

"Okay", Luke sighed.

"Look Luke you just came back home after 3 years. You can either choose to be happy and spend time with us, catch up on the times you've missed, or you can spend the entire night sitting here brooding and mourning about how you'll never be able to settle here again. It's your choice, but to me it's pretty obvious which one you should take. I am going outside, Karen have made an awesome dinner and I am so not wasting it by sitting here talking to my less than cheerful brother", Nathan remarked as he got up from his chair and made his way to the door.

Turning right before he exited the balcony, Nathan looked up at his brother and said, "But for what's it worth, I am glad to have you back". And with that he was gone leaving Lucas to his thoughts.

Lucas thought over Nathan's words and realized that he was right. There was no point sitting here brooding and wishing things were different. He had to go out, spend time with his friends and make up the lost time. The already had a pile of regret tugging at his conscience, he wasn't going to let this be one of them. For the first time, he was going to fight for what he wanted, and what he wanted right now was his place back in the lives of his friends and family.

Rubbing a hand over his slightly unshaven face, he slowly stood up and for the first time since he had gotten here, he let himself to really feel Tree Hill. And as he made his way outside, only one thought was running through his head: _It felt good to be home._

**A/N: ** Wow, I am floored by the overwhelming response I got for last chapter. I am so glad you guys liked it. Thank you so, so much for such positive reviews, you have no idea how much I love you guys! To be completely honest I had no intention of writing another chapter today, but after I saw the response chapter 1 had, I was completely motivated to start and finish this chapter today!

For my question last chapter, most of you voted for Brooke/Owen pairing, so that's what it's going to be! I am sorry for those of you who wanted Brooke/Chase, but Browen overwhelmingly won over Brase.

So, I hope you guys liked this chapter. I wanted to show everyone's delight but at the same time shock at seeing Lucas after three years. You have to remember that he hadn't been home in 3 years, so things are VERY different from where he stands! I couldn't help but add Peyton in her mommy-mode and I hope you guys liked it, because I sure loved writing it. I know a lot of you guys liked the flashback, and I promise you that there are many more to come! (Spoiler: Next chapter flashbacks to their one-night stand)

I am also planning to bring Rachel back and I was wondering if you would want her with Mouth or someone completely different. It's either going to be Mouth/Rachel or Mouth/Millicent! I know they are insignificant characters. But they're still part of the story.

Lastly, I just wanted to let you know that I have no school tomorrow (yay!) so if the reviews come any close to what I got last night (40 reviews) than there will definitely be a new chapter posted up tomorrow (family dinner which brings another batch of surprised for Lucas when it comes to Peyton, Luke/Peyton first private confrontation, Luke/Allison sweet moment, Breyton talk and Lucas/ Lindsay talk). It's going to be pretty eventful and pretty long, so I'll only be able to complete it over the holiday or two regular days! So if I don't get your awesome reviews than the next update will be delayed!

Now that I am finally done with my LONG author's note, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please don't forget to **REVIEW **(I will be answering signed reviews this time so feel free to voice any questions or confusion you might have)


	3. Nothing is the same anymore

Chapter 3: Nothing is the same anymore

_Last chapter_

_Rubbing a hand over his slightly unshaven face, he slowly stood up and for the first time since he had gotten here, he let himself to really feel Tree Hill. And as he made his way outside, only one thought was running through his head: It felt good to be home._

_

* * *

  
_

Lucas quietly shut his bedroom door behind him as he made his way into the kitchen where all the adults were at. As he passed by the living room, he stopped to take in the cute sight in front of him.

Jamie and Lily were playing NBA live and were engaged in a very heated debate about which one was better. A little further away from the TV, Natalie and Allison were playing together with the countless dolls scattered on the floor around them. As he watched the scene unfold, he couldn't help but let a sigh of satisfaction escape his lips. This is how life should be, surrounded by people you live and kids that light up the room with their smiles.

Unconsciously, his eyes wandered to where Allison was sitting on the floor dressing up one of her dolls and engaged in a very animated conversation with Natalie. Natalie must have said something really funny, because a second later the little blond girl started laughing, her body shaking with laughter and her eyes twinkling with happiness. The sound of her laughter warmed Lucas to his core. For some reason, this girl had a peculiar effect on him. He had never felt so drawn or connected to another person as he felt with her. He had known her for half an hour and her laugh could easily put a smile to his face, something that had been a hard fate for many.

Maybe it was the way she looked, so care free, without any worry in the world; or maybe it was her twinkling eyes that reminded him of a child's innocence that could warm anyone's heart. But Lucas knew that the main reason she made him feel that way was because she was Peyton's daughter; looking at her made her in some way connected to Peyton and that itself was a very special bond to him.

As if sensing someone's eyes on her, Allison turned her eyes and met Luke's searching ones. He saw the smile fade from her face and her eyes roamed around his face finally landing on his eyes which were so much like her own. Giving him a small smile, she broke eye-contact with him and turned her attention towards Natalie and the toys around her.

Lucas felt his heart racing in his chest as the little girl searched his face, and when she gave him her cute little smile, his heart filled with unfiltered joy as he felt all his worries evaporating.

As he turned around and made his way to the kitchen, he was sure of one thing: With just one smile, Allison had captured his heart. _Just like her mother._

--

Entering the kitchen, he saw all the men gathered around the island as the women carried dishes after dishes of delicious smelling food to the table. Had Lucas being paying more attention, he would have noticed Lindsay standing awkwardly in one corner, not knowing what to do. But his gaze never went that far because he was too busy taking in everything about the people he had missed. This was their life, a life that would soon be his. And that thought was enough for a big ass smile to spread across his face.

He was brought out of his thoughts by Haley's voice as she announced that dinner was ready and started ushering everyone to the table.

Nathan, noticing Lucas' presence in the kitchen called out to him, "Good of you to finally grace us with your presence older bro. Would you like to join us in this festive feast your mom have so graciously provided for us?"

"Absolutely kind sir", Lucas replied with a pretend bow as everyone around them burst into laughter at the formal tone the two brothers were using.

Once everyone was seated, Nathan noticed the absence of some very important and rowdy people.

"Not that I don't love the peace and quiet, but where are the hooligans we call our kids?"

"Nate you do realize that you have the most 'hooligans' among all of us, right?" Brooke asked sarcastically.

"Hey, I love my kids more than anything in the world, but you can't deny that they're all a bunch of hooligans. They are the can't live with them, can't live without them deal", Nathan explained.

"He definitely has a point there", Karen replied smiling in agreement.

"Thank you Karen", Nathan said looking at Brooke as if proving a point, "But no one answered my question. Why don't we have scraping hands and feet around the tables demanding that they be served first? I mean our kids aren't exactly the example of patience and they absolutely can't live on an empty stomach".

"Well you see Nate, Mommy Peyton who completely understands the needs of the children, came up with the idea that we feed the kids before Al cuts the cake, so that the adults can eat in peace. And judging by the tranquility around us, I have to say that this is one of the best ideas P. Sawyer have come up with, don't you think?" Brooke asked, and Peyton playfully slapped her arm.

"Mommy Peyton, your ideas just keep getting better and better girl", Skills agreed with a teasing smile.

"Alright guys enough with the Mommy Peyton. It sounds creepy", Peyton complained.

"You don't mind it when Al calls you that", Brooke stage whispered as the whole table burst into laughter, earning her a glare from her best friend.

"Speaking of Al, thanks for coming today guys, it meant the world to her", Peyton said sincerely.

"Like we would have missed it for the world. That girl means the world to us", Haley replied just as sincerely as everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

"Wait till she sees my present dawg. She's going to be all over it, I know it", Skills said confidently.

"Oh no, she'll like our present the best", Nathan protested as Haley nodded in agreement with her husband.

"Alright all of you, back off. My goddaughter will like my present the best. There's no question about it", Brooke said glaring around the table as if daring someone to contradict her.

Peyton saw Haley open her mouth to retaliate and decided to step in.

"Hey you guys. What are we in kindergarten? She's going to love all her presents because each of them is given to her by someone she loves. Don't start Brooke", Peyton warned as she saw Brooke open her mouth to obviously fire something back.

Shutting her mouth, Brooke fixed her friend with the best glare she could muster.

"You ruin all the fun P. Sawyer or should I saw Mommy Peyton", Brooke pouted a couple of seconds later.

"Brooke you do realize that you and Peyton live together and she can get you back for that comment any way she pleases", Karen asked pleasantly, her eyes shining with laughter.

"Oh I am not too worried. I think I can handle Peyt. I am sure she is not going to restore to any violence, crude language or anything of that sort in front of her daughter. All I have to do is keep Al around me for the next couple of days and I'll be okay", Brooke replied seriously as Peyton just shook her head.

Before anyone could say anything else, a shrill scream and the sound of crying from the living room reached the ears of the adults in the kitchen.

"That would be mine", Peyton said smiling slightly as she recognized her daughter's scream. She quickly excused herself from the table and made her way into the living room.

"What happened baby?" They heard Peyton ask her daughter.

There were some muffled sounds which they assumed to be Allison telling her mother the reason for her distress.

They heard Peyton laugh softly and she spoke in a soft, soothing voice to comfort her daughter.

"Can I come sit with you? I don't want to play anymore", they heard Allison ask, and after that all was quiet.

A minute later, Peyton entered the kitchen once again with a tear stained Allison in her arms. Without a word, Peyton made it back to her seat and settled Allison on her lap why immediately snuggled into her mom's chest.

Lucas could feel his breathing hitch as he looked at the tender scene in front of him. Nathan was right, as he saw her sitting in front of him comforting her upset daughter, he knew that she was born to be a mother. She seemed to be a natural at it; there was so much pure love in her eyes as she stroked her daughter's curly blond hair that Lucas wished for a second that he was part of her family. He wished that she would look at him like she was looking at her daughter, even if it was for just a second. And even though he knew he didn't deserve it, he couldn't help but wish for it all the same.

"What happened?" Karen asked softly as she looked tenderly at the mother-daughter bonding in front of her. It was moments like these that made her realize just how much Allison meant to Peyton, how much happiness she had brought in her life, in all of their lives. She had always loved Peyton as he own daughter and it was her dearest dream for her to get married to his son. When Lucas told her three years ago that he was going to marry Lindsay, she couldn't believe her ears. She was against their marriage, but she never let it show. She knew it was a decision Lucas had to make for himself, and she promised that she would support him in whatever decision he made. But that didn't stop her heart from breaking when Lucas said _I do_ in that church all these years ago. But just because Lucas and Peyton didn't get their happy ending, didn't mean that Peyton stopped being a daughter to her, quite the contrary actually. Her bond with Peyton had only strengthened in the past 3 years to the point where even Peyton had started thinking of her as her own mother.

"She got into a fight with Jamie", Peyton smiled as she continued to stroke her daughter's hair. "It wasn't anything serious. He took one of her dolls and won't give it back, you know how kids can get. She's pretty tired as well which makes her more prone to tears and arguments."

"I would be tired too if I had been up since 5 in the morning", Brooke teased her goddaughter.

"I had a nightmare, and I couldn't sleep. Tell her mommy", Allison looked up at her mommy giving her the puppy dog eyes she had perfected over the years. The eyes that worked on everyone except for Peyton.

"Sorry kiddo, those eyes don't work on me. This is your war, you fight it", Peyton smiled as Allison huffed and turned her attention back to Brooke.

"Buddy the only reason you were up so early was because you were excited about your birthday and wanted to find the surprise present your mommy and I got you", Brooke retaliated.

"Na-huh", Allison shot back.

"Fine then, will you mind telling me what you were doing in the laundry room at 5 in the morning looking through the hamper of dirty clothes? I distinctly remember that you run into your mommy's room and not the hamper when you have a nightmare", Brooke asked raising her eyebrows hardly concealing her laughter.

"She got you there buddy", Nathan remarked, who was also having a hard time holding in his laughter as he saw Brooke argue with a 3-year old.

"I don't like you anymore Aunt Brooke and Uncle Nathan", Allison mumbled as she once again hid her face in her mother's chest.

"Hey what did I do?" Nathan asked surprised by her sudden change in mood.

"You took Aunt Brooke's side. You're not a good godfather anymore", Allison mumbled her head still buried in Peyton's chest.

"Aww baby, I am sorry. If you forgive me this time, I promise I will always take your side", Nathan pleaded with the little girl.

"You promise?" Allison asked as she slowly raised her head from its previous position.

"Cross my heart", Nathan promised.

"Alright then you're forgived", Allison said in a serious tone after a moment's contemplation.

"It's forgiven honey", Haley corrected gently.

"Sooorryy, Aunt Haley", Allison said in a sing song voice.

"Am I forgiven too?" Brooke asked hopefully after a minute of silence.

"No", Allison said looking at Brooke as if she had grown another head.

"What? Why? You forgave Nathan", Brooke asked with a pout.

"She just likes me better Brooke, it's about time you got used to that", Nathan replied, smirking at the glare Brooke sent his way.

"Uncle Nathan said sorry, and you didn't", Allison said simply.

"He never said sorry", Brooke protested.

"Did too", Allison replied just as stubbornly.

"Yea, I did too, Brooke", Nathan said in an innocent voice.

"He said he will always take your side, where is the sorry part in that statement?" Brooke asked incredulously.

"Well there just is", Allison replied.

"I am never gonna win this am I?" Brooke asked smiling.

"Nope", both Allison and Nathan said at the same time.

"What if I said I was sorry? Would you forgive me then?" Brooke asked sweetly.

"Maybe", Allison answered with a coy smile. It was obvious how much she was enjoying this.

"I am sorry baby girl. You know I love you", Brooke said smiling as a smile formed on Allison's face at her words.

"I love you too Aunt Brooke", Allison said as she jumped from Peyton's lap and jumped in Brooke's waiting arms giving her a big bear hug.

"Wow, is this how every conflict is dealt with?" Lucas asked staring wide eyed at the argument between Allison, Brooke and Nathan. He was amazed how much like little kids those two can become. This was definitely something you didn't see everyday.

"She knows exactly how to bring someone on their knees in front of her; you have to grovel for her forgiveness, it's not given out that easily. She is one stubborn girl, but no surprises there, she has P. Sawyer as her mom after all", Skills answered as he looked adoringly at the little girl in her mother's lap.

It was obvious to Lucas by the way everyone talked about and looked at Allison that she was an extremely important part of their lives. That girl was close to each and every one of their hearts, and he could completely see why. She had a certain charm about her that drew people to her. After all, he had only been here for an hour and just one look at her was enough to warm his heart.

"So how long are you here for Luke?" Brooke asked suddenly.

"For good", Lucas replied seriously, ignoring the noncommittal sound Lindsay made from the seat next to her.

"Hmm…so do you need a formal invitation to come have dinner at mine and P's place or are you going to drop by randomly and announce to stay for dinner?" Brooke asked as everyone laughed.

"Since when have you been giving out dinner invitations Brooke? You know the traditional definition of dinner is home cooked food not takeout from the nearest Chinese restaurant", Lucas teased. From what he remembered, Brooke and Peyton couldn't cook to save their lives. He smiled as he remembered the disastrous chocolate chip cookie incident that had occurred during their senior year in which Peyton had added way too much salt in the batter after misreading the directions. He smiled wistfully as that memory came back to him. That was one of the few times when he was truly happy and completely in love. What wouldn't he give to go back in time and relive all that over again.

He was broken out of his reverie as Brooke started speaking again.

"Haha very funny Luke. For your information I just give out the invitations, it's Peyton who actually does the cooking".

Now it was Luke's turn to gawk.

"Peyton can't cook", Lucas replied without thinking.

"Oh yes she can. It's one of the many changes Mommy Peyton, sorry Peyton underwent after the birth of Allison. She's a great cook, not as good as Haley of course, but she ranks pretty high", Nathan said pretty matter-of-factly.

His answer got a mixed response from the table.

Haley leaned down to kiss him softly on the cheek, Peyton rolled her eyes and both Brooke and Skills started coughing at the same time, their coughs sounding suspiciously like the word _whipped_.

"Laugh all you want, but you aren't the ones getting lucky tonight", Nathan replied smirking as Haley lightly hit him on the arm and the rest of the table erupted in laughter.

"How's Uncle Nathan getting lucky mommy?" Allison asked confused, sending the entire table in another fit of laughter.

"He's just being silly honey", Peyton answered quickly hoping to evade any other questions.

"But I wanna get lucky too", Allison whined.

"Now look what you've done Nathan", Peyton said glaring at Nathan, "Why don't you explain what you meant?"

However Nathan was spared the uncomfortable experience by Karen who quickly said, "Uncle Nathan was talking about how he's going to get lucky tonight because he's going to eat the chocolate chip cookies your mommy made for him. Wasn't that right Nathan?"

"Yes, yes, Grandma Karen is absolutely right. You know how much I love your mom's cookies right?" Nathan sighed in relief as he quickly mouthed _thanks_ to Karen.

"Yeah you're right. Mommy's cookies are the very best aren't they Aunt Brooke?" Allison said looking towards Brooke for confirmation.

"Oh yeah, the very best", Brooke confirmed watching as Ally's face broke into a huge smile.

"So Luke, what do you say? Are you going to take me on my offer and come over soon? I promise Peyton won't disappoint. She's gotten really good over the years", Brooke promised.

"If Peyton promises to make the food, then I'll just have to take you on that offer Brooke. So what do you say Peyton?" Lucas asked, for the first time in the past hour talking directly to Peyton.

Peyton looked up, surprised at being directly addressed too.

"I promise", Peyton answered softly as blue eyes met green ones for a second before Peyton looked away.

"Well then consider me already there", Lucas replied with a genuine smile as he turned his attention back to his food.

--

_There are certain people you just keep coming back to  
She is right in front of you  
You begin to wonder could you find a better one  
Compared to her now she's in question_

After dinner was over and the dining table cleared, Peyton found herself in the kitchen, alone for the first time in hours. She had left the others in the living room with the excuse of getting a glass of water. Truth was that she needed some time to herself; she needed to stop, take a deep breath and process everything that had happened in the past hour or so. She couldn't believe that Lucas was here; after 3 years of absence he suddenly appeared out of the blue, pushing her carefully balanced life into complete disarray.

_And all at once the crowd begins to sing  
Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same  
Maybe you want her maybe you need her  
Maybe you started to compare to someone not there_

How was she supposed to act around him? Was she supposed to act as if nothing had changed in the past 3 years, when in reality her life had taken a 180 degree turn from the last time she saw him. How was she supposed to tell him that he had a daughter? Should she even tell him that? And what about Allison, what was she supposed to say to her? She had so many questions and no answers. She had never experienced such a huge internal conflict like the one she was facing now. Her mind had gone into a whirlwind the second her eyes had met Lucas when he entered the kitchen 2 hours ago, and no matter how hard she tried to calm herself down, her mind was refusing to let her think rationally.

Peyton snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the resounding _thud_ of the kitchen door closing and the sound of footsteps coming towards her.

_Looking for the right one you line up the world to find  
Where no questions cross your mind  
But she won't keep on waiting for you without a doubt  
Much longer for you to sort it out  
And all at once the crowd begins to sing  
Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same_

Taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down, she plastered a fake smile on her face and turned to face the person who her interrupted her solitude.

Turning around, her eyes immediately met a very awkward looking Lucas who was leaning against a counter directly across where she was standing. She stared at him for a couple of seconds, completely thrown off by his presence and very conscious of the fact that they were quite alone in the kitchen. Of all the people, Lucas was the last one she had expected to see when she had turned around. She knew that he was going to seek her out in an attempt to talk to her one on one; she just didn't think it would be so soon though.

She felt her eyes unconsciously roaming around his body as she really looked at him for the first time since he had arrived. He looked just as good as she remembered if not more. He was wearing a full sleeved t-shirt that clung to his well-built frame leaving little to imagination. His hair was cut short and she could just see the beginning of stubble on his face, just the way she had always like it. Even after all these years he could still take her breath away.

Looking into his blue eyes, that reminded her so much of her daughter, she saw that he was openly checking her out, making her feel extremely self conscious. Wrapping her arms around herself, she cleared her throat in an attempt to get his attention.

Quickly snapping back to reality at her disruption, Lucas looked up and made eye contact with the blond woman in front of her.

"Hey", he greeted softly.

"What are you doing here Lucas?" Peyton asked in a tired tone not bothering with the pleasantries.

"You've been completely ignoring me ever since I got here. I just wanted a chance to talk to you. You won't speak to me in front of the others, so I followed you when I saw you heading towards the kitchen alone", Lucas explained quietly.

"You shouldn't be here Lucas", Peyton said softly as she tried to break eye contact with Lucas but finding herself unable to do so.

"Why? Have things gone this bad that you can't even stand being in the same room as me?" Lucas asked desperately.

"Lindsay wouldn't like the fact that you're in here with me", Peyton whispered not answering his question.

"Then hell with Lindsay, she doesn't lead my life. You're my friend Peyton, and nothing changes that", Lucas answered sincerely.

"We haven't been friends in a long time Lucas, and I don't see that changing any time soon", Peyton said in an emotionless voice and Lucas felt his heart break at her words.

_Maybe you want her maybe you need her  
Maybe you started to compare to someone not there  
Maybe you want it maybe you need it,  
Maybe it's all you're running from,  
_

_Perfection will not come_

"How have you been Peyton?" Lucas asked tenderly, choosing to ignore her last comment.

Peyton felt anger like no other bubble in the pit of her stomach at his words. How dare he ask her how she's been? He has no right to come here and pretend as if nothing had happened between then 3 years ago. He had lost any right he had over her after her got married to another woman.

She felt like screaming at him, hurting him for all the times he had hurt her, but the rational part of her brain told her that nothing will come from rehashing the past. He was obviously trying to have a regular conversation, and she knew that she should make an attempt to do the same. Screaming and shouting wasn't going to solve any problems and the quickly she answered him the faster he would leave.

"I have been good", she finally answered.

"Things have completely changed from the last time I was here, haven't they?" Lucas asked with a dry laugh.

"That's one way of putting it", Peyton replied with a small smile.

"I mean look at you. You're a mother now", Lucas said with ill concealed pain in his voice.

"Yea, I do", Peyton confirmed, a genuine smile forming on her lips at the mention of her daughter.

"She's amazing Peyton", Lucas complimented sincerely.

"She's my world, Lucas. She means everything to me", Peyton commented looking at him straight in the eye, and Lucas knew that she had never spoken a truer word before.

"You're amazing with her Peyton. I always knew you were going to be a great mother, but seeing you with her, it seems like you were born to do this", Lucas commented genuinely.

"Thanks Lucas, it means a lot to hear you say that", Peyton replied. It was true. Even though she didn't want it to, hearing Lucas tell her that she was a great mother to _their_ daughter meant the world to her.

"So, what's her name?" Lucas asked interestedly. He knew that her first name was Allison, but he was more interested in her full name. It was his only hope at finding out who the father was.

"Allison Anna Sawyer", Peyton replied quietly.

"Anna after your mother?" Lucas asked even though he already knew the answer. With much difficulty he concealed the disappointment he felt when Peyton had said the name. She had given Allison her last name, and he was stupid to think otherwise. If the father wasn't in the picture (and he hoped that he wasn't) then Peyton would have definitely given her daughter her last name.

"Yea. I wanted to put Ellie, but it's sort of reflected in her first name so I put Anna instead", Peyton replied, twirling the bracelet on her wrist, a sure sign that she was nervous. She wasn't sure where the nerves were coming from, but a nagging voice in the back of her head told her that it was her way of anticipating Lucas' reaction to the name she had given their daughter. Even though Lucas had no idea that Allison was his, it didn't change the fact that he was the father, and she wanted him to like the name.

But Lucas' next comment wiped away all the doubts from her mind.

"It's a beautiful name Peyton", Lucas said honestly.

"You like it?" Peyton asked shyly not able to meet his eyes.

"I love it", he confirmed, glad that she had asked for his opinion. It meant that he still mattered to her, his opinion still mattered to him, and that alone was enough to put a smile on his face.

"So her last name is Sawyer huh? What about her father?" Lucas asked without thinking, and cursing himself the second the words left his mouth. Way to ruin the mood Scott. There was no doubt that she would glare at him, tell him that it was none of his business and order him to leave immediately. He was so ready for a glare and a sharp comment from her that what she said next completely took her off guard.

"He's not involved in her life", Peyton replied softly surprising the both of them at how well she had handled the question she knew was coming from the second he had walked into the kitchen.

"I am sorry. It was none of my business—"

"You're right, it is none of your business. But it doesn't mean that the question wasn't running through your head since the moment you found out that Ally was my daughter", Peyton said matter of factly, her voice carefully devoid of emotions as Lucas looked down sheepishly.

_And all at once the crowd begins to sing  
Sometimes  
We'd never know what's wrong without the pain  
Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same_

The kitchen was filled with uncomfortable silence as neither of the two knew what to say anymore.

It was a couple of minutes before Peyton finally spoke, "I think you should go Lucas. People will be wondering where you are".

"Since when have I cared about what other people thought?" Lucas asked playfully in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Don't do this Lucas", Peyton said in an agitated tone, and for the first time he could hear anger behind her voice.

"Do what Peyton?" Lucas asked confused at her sudden mood swing.

"This whole playful thing people do with their friends. We're not friends Lucas, so don't pretend otherwise. Just stop it", Peyton snapped. She didn't know where this sudden range was coming from, but it was overtaking the rational side of her brain and Peyton knew that if Lucas didn't leave immediately, she would lose it.

By now Lucas was completely flabbergasted. He didn't know what he had said to set her off like that. Had he been smart, he would have turned around and walked out of the door and pretend that the past 10 minutes in the kitchen never happened; but the one thing we know about Lucas Scott is that when it came to Peyton, he had never been the one to make smart decisions.

"Peyton I—"

And that was it. Those two words were enough for Peyton to completely lose it.

"You what Lucas? You what? You thought that you would come here, talk to me, say some sweet words and everything would be okay? That these past 10 minutes would be enough to erase the past 3, no the past 6 years? Did you seriously think that 10 minutes make up for every ounce of pain you've put me through since the night you left me alone in LA? Did you think that I had forgotten our past and everything you've put me through? Or were you naïve enough to think that I have let everything go? You left me after I said _someday_ to your proposal, then you return 3 years later dating your editor. You treat me like crap, kiss me, and then go propose to Lindsay all in the same night. Not to mention that you proposed to her with _my_ ring, could you have hurt me anymore that night Luke? Then I tell you that I am going to let you go for your happiness, and I tried Luke, I tried to let you go, I tried to be happy for you. You have no idea how much it killed me, but I did it because I wanted you to be happy. I had lost all hope in us, until that night one week before your wedding when you came to my studio. You remember that night don't you Lucas? The things you said to me, the way you kissed me, the way you made love to me. I know you remember all of it Luke because that night had haunted my dreams for the past 3 years. You shattered my heart with your words when you left my studio afterwards, but you gave me hope again. Just when I was ready to succumb to the fact you we weren't meant to be, you gave me hope again, something I wish you had never done. Because when you stood at that altar and said _I do_ to another woman, you took that hope away from me in the worst way possible, and that is something that I can never forgive you for. Not now, not ever. So don't stand there pretending that I have forgotten our past, or hoping for a fresh start, because after the way you have played with my heart, I don't think we will ever be okay again".

By this time, there were hot tears rolling down Peyton's cheek as she let out everything she had been bottling up inside of her for the past 6 years.

_Maybe you want her maybe you need her  
Maybe you've started to compare to someone not there  
Maybe you want it maybe you need it  
Maybe it's all you're running from  
Perfection will not come_

Through her whole rant, Peyton had never broken eye contact from Lucas and he had been able to clearly see all the emotions portrayed in her vivid green eyes as she let go of the past six years. Every word that had come out of her mouth had pierced right through his heart and by the time she was done, it felt like someone had ripped his heart right off his chest. As he watched the tears rolling down her face, he wished he could go up to her, wrap his arms around her, wipe off her tears and make everything okay for her. But it was too late for that, he had no right to do that anymore, not when he was the reason behind everything she had gone through.

He felt tears prick his eyes as he finally realized that at that moment he had lost Peyton Sawyer, probably forever. She wasn't his to care for anymore.

"I am sorry Peyton, I am so sorry", he finally managed to choke out the only thing he could think of. And with that, he turned and walked out of the door leaving Peyton all alone like he had done so many times before.

_Maybe you want her maybe you need her  
Maybe you had her maybe you lost her to another  
To another_

_**(All at once- The Fray)**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

**A/N:** Wow, talk about a long chapter! I am not going to say much about this chapter and let the chapter speak for itself. I really didn't mean to make the Leyton conversation so dramatic, but I thought letting everything in the open would clear the air for the next couple of chapters which would revolve more around Lucas/Allison. I have a couple of more scenes planed for this chapter, but it was getting way too long. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, both the light hearted part (dinner) and the drama (leyton convo).

Once again, thank you so much for the reviews, each and every one of them were awesome! I got back to some of you, and I will try to get back to the rest of you soon as well. I got 33 reviews for last chapter, and as promised this is your new chapter!

If I get 35 reviews by tomorrow, I will try my best to post Chapter 4 tomorrow, if not then definitely Thursday because I do have school to worry about!

Next chapter: Breyton, Lucas/Karen and Lucas/Lindsay have interesting conversations and Lucas finally gets to hold his daughter!

So with that said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please, please leave a **REVIEW! **They are truly an inspiration for me to keep writing =]


	4. Best friends, timing & fatherly feelings

Chapter 4: Best friends, timings and fatherly feelings

_Last chapter:_

"_I am sorry Peyton, I am so sorry", he finally managed to choke out the only thing he could think of. And with that, he turned and walked out of the door leaving Peyton all alone like he had done so many times before._

_

* * *

Seems like just yesterday  
You were a part of me  
I used to stand so tall  
I used to be so strong  
Your arms around me tight_

Hearing the door close, Peyton slid down the counter she was leaning on and let go of every emotion that she had been keeping inside for the past 6 years.

And that was how Brooke found her 5 minutes later as she walked into the kitchen. Peyton had her arms wrapped around herself as tears continued to pour down her face.

It was as if she had been suddenly transported to 3 years ago when she had once more found Peyton in a very similar situation.

--_Flashback—_

_Brooke woke up to the sound of someone crying in the bathroom across the hall. Looking at the alarm clock by her bedside, she saw that was 4:30 in the morning. Wondering if she was hallucinating, Brooke strained her ears towards the sound, and sure enough the heartbreaking sobs were still there._

_Alarmed, Brooke quickly got up and made her way towards the bathroom where the sounds were coming from. Putting her ears next to the closed door, she realized that it was Peyton. _

_She had heard Peyton cry on numerous occasions especially in the last month or so, but never like this. Turning the door knob, she found to her relief that it was unlocked._

_Pushing the door open, she took in the sight before her and felt her heart break in two as she looked at her best friend._

_She was sitting on the floor, her back leaning against the tub. Her legs were pulled close to her chest and she had her head in her lap. Brooke could see her shoulders shaking as heartbreaking sobs wracked her body._

_Walking forward till she was directly in front of her friend, Brooke couched down until she was eye-level with her. Very slowly she held up her hand and placed it gently on her shoulder. At the sudden contact, Peyton quickly looked up to find the worried eyes of her best friend. Without another word, Peyton threw herself in Brooke's arms and cried till her eyes were completely dried out._

_Brooke just sat there, running her hand through Peyton's hair and whispered comforting words in order to calm her down. She had no idea what the reason was behind such a huge emotional response, but she knew that right now was not the time for any questions._

_After 15 minutes, Brooke could hear Peyton's sob die down to sniffles as her best friend tried to regain some composure. Once Peyton had completely calmed down, Brooke took that as her cue to start speaking._

"_What's wrong P. Sawyer?" she questioned gently not wanting to come off too demanding._

"_I can't believe this is happening to me Brooke. I can't do this", Peyton whispered as if in a trance. _

"_What can't you believe P?" Brooke asked with the same gentle tone, but with worry laced in her every word. What the hell had happened?_

_Without saying a word, Peyton lifted her head from Brooke's shoulder and opened her previously closed palm to reveal a small white stick, which was the reason behind her distress._

"_Is that a—pregnancy test? You're pregnant?!?" Brooke gasped not believing what she was seeing._

_Peyton nodded tearfully as she felt tears prick her eyes once more time._

"_Oh Peyton", Brooke whispered as she pulled her distressed friend into another hug knowing that she needed someone by her side right now._

"_Do you know how far along you are?" Brooke asked quietly after a couple of minutes._

"_5 weeks", Peyton answered just as quietly, feeling as if she was trapped in a nightmare._

"_That would explain the vomiting you were claiming to be a stomach flu", Brooke noted._

_Peyton nodded and they were once again engulfed by silence._

"_Do you know who—the father is?" Brooke asked hesitantly, voicing the question that had been nagging her since she was saw the test._

_Looking at Brooke with empty and haunted eyes, Peyton whispered the two words that shocked Brooke to the core, "Its Lucas"._

_--End Flashback—_

_Everything, it felt so right  
Unbreakable, like nothin' could go wrong  
Now I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hanging on_

They had spent that entire night talking about Peyton's pregnancy while Peyton revealed about the one night stand she and Lucas had one week before his wedding. It had been one of the longest nights of her life, the night that she realized that at that time she was the only one Peyton had, and it was also on that night that she had promised herself to always be there for Peyton and her unborn child.

The continued sounds of Peyton's sobs brought her back to reality as she shook her head to clear off the memory of the dark night 3 years ago.

Without a seconds delay, Brooke walked towards her distressed friend knowing that the time had come once again when her friend needed her the most. Once she had reached her, she crouched down in front of her and put a hand on her shaking shoulders. As she saw Peyton raise her head and crumble in her waiting arms, Brooke couldn't help but feel a strong sense of déjà vu. There was only one man who could do this to her, who was the reason for her heartbreak 3 years ago and who is responsible of the pain she was going through right now. Only one man to whom she had given her whole heart to only to have him rip it to shreds time after time. Only one man by the name of Lucas Scott.

After a couple of minutes, Brooke felt Peyton's body relax under her arms and the absence of her sobs made her realize that she had stopped crying. Lifting her friend's head off her shoulders, Brooke softly wiped the remaining tears off her face and stood up pulling Peyton along with her.

"Brooke?" Peyton asked surprised at her friend's sudden actions.

"Let's go outside and talk okay", Brooke said knowing that some fresh year would do Peyton some good.

Nodding her head, Peyton followed Brooke as she led them into the empty patio overlooking the backyard.

Letting go off Brooke's hand, Peyton made her way to the wooden railing separating the patio from the vast backyard. As she looked around the darkness, she couldn't help but let a sigh escape her lips. Even though it was pitch black outside, it was nothing compared to the darkness that had just entered her life leaving her completely blind.

"I knew I shouldn't have Lucas go into the kitchen after you. I don't know what I was thinking. The second he came out, one look at his face was enough to let me know that things had gone anything but smoothly between the two of you", Brooke silently berated herself as she came to stand next to Peyton.

"It's not your fault Brooke. He would have sought me out one way or another", Peyton assured her friend having heard her clearly despite her low tone.

"I know, but I still can't help but feel responsible. I am sorry Peyton", Brooke said sincerely.

"I told you Brooke, it's not—"

"Not about that, but about everything that had happened tonight. I can't even imagine what you must be going through with Lucas coming out of the blue and all", Brooke explained.

"Tree Hill is just as much his home as it is mine. He can come here whenever he pleases, it's not like he needs my permission. And you should go outside, Owen would be wondering where you disappeared off to", Peyton said emotionlessly. As much as she needed her best friend right now, Brooke had given up way too much to be there for her and Allison and she wasn't about to selfishly take away the one night she was planning to spend with her boyfriend.

"He'll understand. And anyways, you need me right now", Brooke replied simply.

"But—"

"No buts, I am not going anywhere. So you can either talk or we can stand here in silence for the next hour or so", Brooke replied stubbornly and Peyton knew that there was nothing she could do or say to change her mind.

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

"Thank you", Peyton said suddenly after a couple minutes of silence.

"For what?" Brooke asked taken aback by her sudden gratitude.

"For what you did at dinner today", Peyton answered softly.

"I am not following you here Peyton. What did I do at dinner today?" Brooke asked thoroughly confused by now.

"For diverting Ally's attention", Peyton explained, and Brooke suddenly knew what she was talking about.

"You saw that?" Brooke asked hesitantly.

"Which part? The one where she was staring at Lucas from the corner or her eyes or the one where she had just opened her mouth to say something before you interrupted?" Peyton asked sarcastically.

"I didn't think you noticed that P.", Brooke replied in all honesty.

"I knew letting you and Nathan tell her about Lucas was a bad idea. What if you hadn't being paying attention and she would have ended up saying something that would have completely ruined everything?" Peyton asked desperately.

"Peyton calm down", Brooke said in a soothing voice, but Peyton was in full panic mode by now.

"Calm down! How do you expect me to calm down Brooke? Lucas can NOT find out about Allison, he just can't. I will not ruin his life by springing a child on him like that. I won't do it. Allison is better off without him in her life. And speaking of my daughter, did you just leave her outside like that? Oh my god, she's out there in the living room isn't she? And Lucas is there as well. She's going to say something and the past three years are going to waste. How can you be so careless Brooke, how can---"

"PEYTON SAWYER WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME FOR ONE SECOND", Brooke shouted as Peyton quieted down immediately quieted down surprised at the sudden outburst.

"Thank you", Brooke said once she had gotten Peyton's attention, "Before you completely freak out, let me tell you that Al is asleep. She fell asleep on my lap when you and Lucas were having a one-on-one in the kitchen. She's sleeping Peyton, so you've got to calm down".

"Oh thank god Brooke," Peyton sighed in relief, "I am so sorry for completely freaking out on you. But Brooke what am I supposed to do? Ally knows that Lucas is her father, and she's so young, she doesn't know how to deal with the situation. I am so afraid that she will let something slip and the whole cover's going to be blown. In fact, I am surprised that she has managed to remain quiet for so long".

"It's not really that surprising if you look at Peyton. I mean yea, she knows who Lucas is, but you've got to remember that the only form of Lucas she is familiar with is the pictures she has of him. But seeing the real version of her dad in front of her, I can't even imagine what would be going through her tiny little head. She's confused Peyton and that is why she hadn't said anything. She has no idea what to do or what to believe in and most importantly, she doesn't know how to act around him. I mean what are you supposed to say to a dad you've only known through pictures?" Brooke asked trying to imagine what must have been going through the mind of the 3 year old.

"It scares the crap out of me Brooke", Peyton all but whispered.

"What?" Brooke probed gently.

"The control Lucas has over Ally without even knowing about it. You heard what she said before blowing the candles, _I already got what I wished for. _You know the picture you gave her of Lucas on our graduation day? She takes it everywhere she goes. She doesn't leave the house without it. And the picture Nathan gave her; you know the one taken at the state championship? She keeps it underneath her pillow and every night before she goes to sleep, along with kissing me goodnight, she kisses the picture goodnight as well, pretending that it's actually her daddy". By this time, both Brooke and Peyton had tears in their eyes. "Ever since she's been old enough to realize what a father is, she has wished for hers to come to her. You know how distraught she was at her 2nd birthday when despite all her prayers there was no sign of her father, and then again at Christmas when the same thing happened. It seemed to me that this year she had given up hope, but the whole evening I saw her sneaking glances at the door. Despite never seeing him her whole life, she's already so attached to him and he doesn't even know who he is to her".

"I know this is a dark time Peyton, but we'll get through this. I promise. We've been through so much in the past three years and we've survived through all of it. This is just another obstacle in the way, and you and your daughter are strong even to get through it. We'll talk to Al tomorrow and try to explain things to her okay? She's a smart girl P, she'll understand", Brooke said soothingly.

"She'll have so many questions Brooke, so many questions whose answers I won't be able to give to her. I mean what am I supposed to tell her if she asks me why Lucas can't be part of her life despite being in the same town? How can I tell her that her daddy can't be part of her life, all the while knowing how much it all means to her? She's so young Brooke, she doesn't deserve any of this", Peyton whispered, her heart breaking for her little girl.

"Let's not worry about that till we have to, okay?" Brooke asked placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Nodding, Peyton turned her attention back to the darkness around her. She could feel a headache coming because of all the thoughts that were moving inside her head, leaving her more confused and disoriented than ever.

_I told you everything  
Opened up and let you in  
You made me feel alright  
For once in my life_

"You know what surprises me the most?" Brooke asked after a couple of minutes.

"What?" Peyton asked tiredly.

"The fact that Lucas hadn't caught on to the fact that Al is his daughter. I mean I always knew he was slow, but I never knew he was dense as well. I mean all the signs are there, the most significant one being her eyes. They are identical to his; he should have picked that up immediately. Then there is the whole Grandma Karen thing. The girl called Karen grandma like 5 times in his presence and he still didn't get it. I mean how hard is it to put two and two together?" Brooke asked slightly amused.

"He's not dense Brooke. There's one major factor preventing him from putting two and two together", Peyton said softly

"What might that be?" Brooke asked interested.

"The timing", Peyton replied simply.

"What does the timing have to do with anything?" Brooke asked extremely confused for the second time in one night.

"Think Brooke. How old is Allison? 3. How long ago did Lucas move? 3 and a half years ago, one month after I slept with him. Now here's where the timing comes into place. Had I carried Allison to full term, she would have been 2 years 10 months old right now, but Al was born 2 months premature and Lucas doesn't know that. So if he is doing his math correctly, he believes that Al belongs to someone I had presumably slept with in LA. The timing factor throws away any other sign that might link Allison to him", Peyton explained.

"Wow. I can't believe I forgot the fact that Al was born premature. Especially after the scare you gave us all, going into labor 2 months before your due date. Those were probably the longest two days of my life", Brooke confessed.

"Not to mention scariest. When the doctor told me that he can't make any promises, I was so afraid I was going to lose her. She's my miracle Brooke, something I thank God every night for, because honestly, I can't imagine my life without her", Peyton said, smiling for the first time since she had came outside.

"She's a special baby P. Sawyer. She brought happiness to everyone around her, and I hope you don't mind me saying this, but I love her just a tad bit more than you", Brooke teased as Peyton playfully swatted her arm.

Smiling as the tension broke around them, the two friends stood in silence for a little longer before Brooke spoke again, "We should head back in now P. People will be wondering if we had somehow managed to kill each other by now. Not to mention that it's getting quiet late and we should be heading back home".

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go", Peyton said as the two friends made their way back into the kitchen.

Stopping at the kitchen door, Peyton quietly slipped her hand into Brooke's and gave it a gentle squeeze, letting her know how much she appreciated her being there for her.

Brooke gave her best friend a big smile at her gesture and pulled her into a side hug assuring her that she'll always be there for her.

_Now all that's left of me  
Is what I pretend to be  
So together, but so broken up inside  
'Cause I can't breathe  
No, I can't sleep  
I'm barely hangin' on_

--

Walking into the living room, Brooke and Peyton immediately noticed how deserted it looked. Only Karen, Lucas and Lindsay remained in the living room. It was obvious that everyone else had left.

"Did everyone leave already?" Brooke asked looking around.

"Yea, they all just left a couple of minutes ago. Nathan and Haley decided to leave when Natalie fell asleep and Jamie started dozing off, and Skills and Bevin followed them." Karen explained. "Oh and Owen left about 15 minutes ago, and he told me to tell you that he will call you later tonight Brooke", Karen finished sending a small wink towards Brooke, who merely smiled in response.

"Oh god, seems like someone will be brooking themselves tonight", Peyton said teasingly, as Brooke gaped at her flushing at her words.

"Very funny P. Sawyer. Real hilarious", Brooke said rolling her eyes as Peyton, Karen and Lucas burst into laughter.

"Well as much as I love teasing B. Davis about her overactive hormones, I think we should leave as well. It's been a long day and it's getting quiet late", Peyton said as Brooke nodded in agreement.

"Where's Allison sleeping?" Peyton asked Brooke once they had gathered all their belongings.

"Nathan put her in Karen's room", Brooke replied and she searched for her keys in her handbag.

"Alright let me go get her", Peyton said, but she hadn't even take two steps towards her destination when Brooke's arm blocked her way.

"Oh no you don't. You've already over exercised your back today. Your back is still not completely healed from your fall at Tric last week and the doctor told you not to carry heavy objects for at least 2 weeks. I didn't say anything when I saw you carrying Al earlier today, but that didn't mean that I have forgotten", Brooke said severely.

"She's right Peyton. You have to be careful or there could be severe permanent consequences. Why don't you two make your way outside while Lucas carries Allison to the car?" Karen suggested.

"That's not nec—" Peyton started but was immediately interrupted by Brooke.

"I think that's a great idea, Karen", Brooke said in a sugary tone that always indicated danger if contradicted.

Giving up, Peyton looked up at Lucas. "Would you mind Lucas?"

"Not at all", Lucas answered as he made his way to his mom's room.

Once Lucas was out of sight, Peyton and Brooke turned towards Karen and gave her a big goodbye hug and thanked her for the awesome party.

Stepping back, they both suddenly realized that Lindsay was still in the room.

Looking towards where the other blond was sitting, Peyton and Brooke awkwardly muttered their goodbyes and made their way towards the door without a backward glance.

_Swallow me then spit me out  
For hating you, I blame myself  
Seeing you it kills me now  
No, I don't cry on the outside  
Anymore..._

_--_

Meanwhile, Lucas quickly made his way towards his mom's room. Stepping into the semi-dark room, Lucas tried his best to be as quiet as possible so as to not wake up the sleeping girl inside. As he made his way towards the bed, he felt his breath catch in his throat as the sleeping figure of Ally came into view. The window next to the bed was open letting soft moonlight in, illuminating the room with silvery white light.

As Lucas neared the bed where Allison peacefully slept, he couldn't help but stare at how innocent she looked. Lucas laughed softly as he took in the way she slept. She was lying on her back, with her mouth opened just the tiniest bit, exactly the way he had watched Peyton sleep so many times.

She was really the cutest kid he had ever seen, and for the first time in his life, he was really envious of Peyton. What wouldn't he give for this little girl to be his?

Shaking his head at the sudden thought, Lucas slowly made his way to the side of the bed, stooping low as he picked the sleeping girl in his arms. The second his arms met her tiny frame, he couldn't help but feel a sense of utter calm wash through his body. Ignoring the feeling, he hugged Allison to his chest as he felt her immediately snuggle into him, and it was then and there that he realized that if this was the last position he would have been in, he would have died a happy man. The way Al's tiny body fit in his arms felt like home to him, he had never been more comfortable in his entire life.

Brushing off some of the blond curls from her face, he lightly kissed her bare forehead and slowly made his way outside, wanting to forever imprint the feeling of her skin against his in his mind.

--

Peyton watched as Lucas carried Allison towards Brooke's car and felt her heart warm up at the tender scene in front of her. This is how a family should be like, this is what Allison deserved. But as she had learned over the past 3 years, nothing in life is that simple. You don't always get what you want, and after all this time, she had learned to live with the disappointments of life. She just wished her daughter didn't have to go through all the pain she had suffered.

"Here you go", Lucas' whispered, snapping her out of her reverie, "You want me to put her in the car seat?"

"Yea", Peyton whispered as she moved out of his way.

Lucas moved past Peyton and carefully laid the peacefully sleeping child in her car seat. Once she was comfortably settled, Lucas quickly buckled her up and then without thinking gave her a light kiss on one of her rosy cheeks.

Stepping back, he shut the car door behind him, and turned around to face a very uncomfortable Peyton.

He opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it.

"Listen Lucas I am sorry for completely spazzing out on you earlier. I don't want to make this more complicated between us, and I promise not to bring it up if you don't", Peyton said quickly.

"Deal", Lucas whispered back.

"Well then, I guess I'll be seeing ya", Peyton said as she made her way towards the car, and just like that she was gone.

Once the car had disappeared from sight, Lucas turned around and made his way towards the house; his heart lighter than it had been all evening.

--

**_Peyton's & Brooke's house- 20 minutes later  
_**

Brooke had just carried a sleeping Allison to her bedroom, and after kissing her goddaughter goodnight, she left the room leaving Peyton alone with her daughter.

Peyton watched her daughter sleep for a couple of seconds, before kissing her goodnight as well and making her way towards the door.

But she had only taken a few steps towards her destination before she was interrupted by the sleepy voice of her daughter.

"I told you Mommy", Allison whispered.

"Told me what honey?" Peyton asked turning around.

"I told you that Daddy would come home".

_Here I am, once again  
I'm torn into pieces  
Can't deny it, can't pretend  
Just thought you were the one  
Broken up, deep inside  
But you won't get to see the tears I cry  
Behind these hazel eyes_

* * *

**A/N:** Here you go! The newest installment of Too Far Gone. I had no intention of posting this chapter today, but your awesome reviews motivated me to write and finish this chapter today! A lot of expressed some confusion as to whether Allison knew about Lucas or why Lucas haven't figured out that he's the father yet....so I defintely hope that this chapter was helpful in clearing up a lot of the confusion. If you still have any questions however, feel free to ask!

Once again thank you for all the awesome reviews! You guys totally made my day!

Next Chapter: Lucas/Karen talk, Lindsay who have not taken kindly to be ignored by everyone has an argument with Lucas and Breyton talk with Allison about Lucas. (Next update will either be tomorrow, and if not definitely Friday...so keep tuned!)

So once again, I hope you liked the chapter (b/c I am not very sure if I did justice to this chapter) and please **REVIEW!**

**Song:** _Behind these Hazel eyes- Kelly Clarkson _


	5. Questions and Disappointments

Chapter 5: Questions and Disappointments

_Last chapter:_

"_I told you Mommy", Allison whispered._

"_Told me what honey?" Peyton asked turning around._

"_I told you that Daddy would come home"._

_

* * *

There's a song that's inside of my soul  
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again  
I'm awake in the infinite cold  
But You sing to me over and over and over again_

"Are they gone?" Karen asked, as she heard Lucas close the front door behind him.

"Yeah", Lucas replied, joining his mother in the kitchen.

"I saw you carry Ally to the car", Karen said suddenly.

"Okay?" Lucas asked confused.

"You guys looked cute. You looked like a natural, as if you were born to hold her in your arms", Karen observed softly, giving her son the all-knowing smile she had so perfected over the years.

"Um thanks", Lucas said shrugging uncomfortably, not knowing how to answer to such a cryptic statement.

"So, where's Lindsay?" Lucas asked after a couple of seconds.

"She said she was going to bed", Karen replied, going along with Lucas' not so subtle change of topic.

"I guess I should head to bed as well. It's been a long day", Lucas said, as he stretched his arms above his head. He was indeed very tired, but after the day he had, he knew that sleep wouldn't come tonight.

"You do look tired", Karen observed, her maternal side coming out as she looked over her son, concern shining in her chocolate brown eyes.

"I'm fine, Mom. Nothing a good night's sleep won't fix", Lucas assured her mother and he plastered a smile on his face.

"Okay", Karen relented as Lucas got up from the chair he was sitting in.

Walking up to the chair where his mother was sitting on, Lucas bended down till he was eye level with her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Good night, Mom. I love you", he whispered before straightening up and making his way to the door.

"I love you too Luke, but...." Karen trailed off as Lucas froze in his steps and turned around to look questioningly at his mother.

"But what, mom?"

"But you have to remember that I am your mother, and I can see right through all of those fake smiles you had plastered on your face throughout the whole night", Karen answered bluntly looking her son straight in the eye.

Lucas blinked in surprise at her mother's words. Whatever he was expecting, this wasn't it. Looking at his mother, he knew that he had no answer for her; any attempt at lying would be futile, because she could easily read through it, she always knew when he was being deceitful to her. Shaking his head in defeat, he turned around and quickly made his way out of the kitchen and away from the searching eyes of his mother that seemed to know everything.

_So I lay my head back down  
And I lift my hands  
and pray to be only Yours  
I pray to be only Yours  
I know now you're my only hope_

--

Reaching the door of his childhood room, Lucas quietly pushed it open, and stepped inside the semi-dark room.

The only light in the room was coming from the lamp situated on the small table next to the bed.

As his eyes got used to the dim light, his eyes landed on his wife who was sitting on the bed, working on her laptop with an extremely sour look on her face.

Releasing a soft sigh, Lucas ran his hand through his hair and closed the door behind him with a small _snap_.

Lindsay's eyes shot up to meet his at the sudden sound, and just one look in her steely grey eyes was enough to let Lucas know that the next few minutes were going to be anything but pleasant.

Trying to ignore the rage in his wife's eyes, Lucas quickly broke eye contact and tried to make his way to the bathroom.

But like always, luck wasn't in his favor. He had just taken a few steps towards his intended destination before Lindsay spoke.

"Are you going to say anything or are you planning to ignore me like the rest of your family have been doing the whole night?" Lindsay asked in an eerily calm voice, but her eyes betrayed the anger and hurt she was feeling as she replayed the whole night over in her head.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lucas said trying to act dumb, but much to his dismay, Lindsay saw right through it, and it only angered her more.

"Do not play dumb with me Lucas Scott", Lindsay whispered her voice shaking with the ill suppressed rage, "You have to be blind to not see the way your family and friends were treating me tonight. Like I was some disgusting painting on the wall that should be avoided at all cost".

"Look they weren't avoiding you, okay? They just didn't know how to act around you. I mean we've been gone for 3 years. Things have really changed here", Lucas tried to explain, but the explanation sounded feeble to his own ears. There was no way Lindsay was going to buy it.

And he was right.

"They had no problem knowing how to act around you", Lindsay spat, "You've been away for 3 years, but no one had any problem embracing _you_ back into their lives no matter how they have changed".

"They knew you for like a month, before we got married and moved to New York. But me, they've known me for the better part of my life. We were a group Lindsay. Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Peyton and me. We used to be a group, best friends, whatever you want to call it. That bond doesn't vanish because you haven't seen each other for 3 years. Undoubtedly it's not as strong as it was 3 years ago, but it's still there. That's why it was easier for them to be around me. As for you, they barely know you Lindsay. There is no bond, no friendship. You have to make your own space in their lives Lindsay, and they aren't going to be taking the first step", Lucas said, relaying the situation out in front of her.

"I can not believe you Lucas. I can not believe that you are taking their sides over mine. I am your wife dammit. It's your responsibility to fit me in their life", Lindsay seethed, raising her voice just a bit.

"I am not taking anyone's side Lindsay, I am just explaining you the situation the way it is. You can take it in anyway you want it to, but that's the way it is. As for you being my wife, you don't have to remind me, I already know that. I was there when we said the _I dos_. However, as far as my responsibility goes, my responsibility was only to bring you in their lives, the fitting in part you have to handle yourself", Lucas stated bluntly as he made to turn away. But he was once again interrupted by Lindsay's shrill voice.

"You are unbelievable Lucas Scott. How the hell am I supposed to fit in when they won't even spare me a second glance? You saw the way they were avoiding me like a plague the whole night. Or maybe you were too busy getting reacquainted with old flames to even notice", Lindsay accused, her usually kind eyes glaring daggers at her husband.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked feeling angry all of a sudden.

"Oh please, I saw the looks you were giving Peyton Sawyer the whole night. I know the reason behind the whole act she put up today", Lindsay stated coldly.

"If by act you mean her being the first one to greet you, let me just clear a few misconceptions. First, that gesture you called an act, was her being nice to you, something which you obviously didn't deserve. And second, there was no reason behind it. Some people are nice because they want to, not because there's a hidden motive behind it", Lucas answered sarcastically.

"Of course, how could I have forgotten? Everything darling Peyton does is out of the goodness of her heart. How could I have even imagined that you have taken my side over hers?" Lindsay shot back just as sarcastically.

"Peyton is my friend Lindsay. She's means just as much to me as Haley and Brooke. She's just a friend", Lucas said, his heart breaking with every word, because he knew that he and Peyton were never just friends and they never will be.

"Yea, just a friend who you wrote 2 books about", Lindsay said rolling her eyes.

"I am not having this conversation with you again," Lucas snapped, having had enough of her attitude.

"Why? Did I strike a nerve?" Lindsay asked menacingly showing no sign of backing down. "If she doesn't mean anything special, then what were you doing alone with her in the kitchen for 20 minutes? Ad why did you look like you were about to break down when you finally did come out? Answer me Luke!"

"I am going to say this once, Lindsay, so get it through your head. Peyton is my friend, and she will always be my friend. You do not have any control over who I talk to and who I don't. As for what I was doing with Peyton in the kitchen, it is none of your business. But I'll tell you anyways. We were talking, you know it's what friends do. I didn't get a chance to talk to her outside, so I followed her into the kitchen. Things have changed in the past three years Lindsay, I just wanted to see how she was doing. But it's good to know that you have so much trust in our marriage", Lucas said sarcastically.

"Oh I trust you Lucas. I trust you. That's the only reason I haven't accused you", Lindsay said, her anger subsiding.

"Accused me of what?" Lucas asked confused.

"About Peyton's daughter", Lindsay said simply, her voice void of any emotion.

"Allison? What does she have to do with anything?" Lucas asked surprise apparent in his every syllable.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed Lucas", Lindsay snapped back frustrated.

"I have no idea what you're talking about", Lucas answered honestly. He had no idea where this was going towards.

"Her eyes Lucas. Her eyes. They are a carbon copy of yours. And that's just the most obvious trait. Her face is shaped a little bit like yours, her personality, the way she walks, it's all a reflection of you. If I didn't know any better, I would have said that she was your daughter", Lindsay said with a nervous laugh.

Whatever Lucas was expecting, this was the last thing on his mind. But it didn't shock him any less. As he let Lindsay's words sink in, his mind went into a frenzy. He didn't know what to think.

_Sing to me the song of the stars  
Of Your galaxy dancing and laughing  
and laughing again  
When it feels like my dreams are so far  
Sing to me of the plans that You have for me over again_

Sure Lucas had noticed her eyes, and yes, he had compared them to his own. But that didn't mean she was his daughter right? I mean there are a million people out there with blue eyes. He remembered back to the night they had shared a week before he got married to Lindsay. If he did the math correct then Allison wasn't his. If Peyton had gotten pregnant with his child after that night, he/she would have been 2 years 10 months old right now, give or take a month. Allison on the other hand was three, she couldn't be his. The timing just did fit. _But what if Peyton had the baby early?_ A little voice in the back of his head spoke. He hadn't thought of that possibility. Of course, Peyton could have had the baby early. But would Peyton actually be cruel enough to keep his child away from him? She would have told him if Ally was his, right? There were so many questions running through his head and no answers anywhere in sight.

"Luke? Luke are you okay?" Lindsay asked as she lightly shook his shoulder. Lucas had completely spaced out and looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I am fine", Lucas answered hesitantly as he came back to reality.

"She isn't your daughter right?" Lindsay asked apprehensively. She was sure that Allison wasn't Lucas' daughter despite the strong resemblance between the two. But after her husband's stunned response, she couldn't help but let her confidence waver.

"Luke?" She pressed again, when Lucas didn't immediately answer.

"What? No, no she's not my daughter", he replied in a confident tone, but on the inside, he was feeling the complete opposite. But he knew that there was no point in freaking Lindsay out, not when he himself didn't know the truth.

"Are you sure?" Lindsay asked seriously, "because you would tell me if she was, right?"

"Of course, I would. But she isn't mine Lindsay. Don't worry about it", Lucas replied softly, attempting to smile, but it came out as a grimace.

Thankfully Lindsay didn't notice, because the second the words left Lucas' mouth, she shut her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

Taking this as a cue that the conversation was over, Lucas turned around, gathered his night clothes under one arm and quickly made his way to the bathroom.

Once he had carefully shut the door behind him, he leaned against the hard wood and closed his eyes, only one thought racing through his mind. _Was Allison really his daughter? _

_--  
_

Lucas tossed and turned the whole night, while Lindsay slept peacefully beside him. His mind was in turmoil. He had no idea what to think. What to believe. He had no idea how to confirm his suspicions, one way or another. He couldn't just go up and ask Peyton about it. He can only imagine how _that_ conversation would go.

_Lucas: Hey Peyton. I was just wondering if Allison was my daughter._

_Peyton: *Brings hand to slap Lucas* _

Oh yeah, that would definitely be a conversation he was looking forward to. Not.

Lucas was so engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't realize that it was morning until the first rays of the sun hit his torso.

Surprised at the sudden brightness, Lucas looked at his alarm clock, and saw that it was 7:30 a.m. It was then that Lucas realized that no matter how hard he tried, sleep would not come. So giving up on that idea, Lucas quietly got up and made his towards the bathroom deciding to take a shower before he began his day.

_I give You my destiny  
I'm giving You all of me  
I want Your symphony  
Singing in all that I am  
At the top of my lungs I'm giving it back_

--

When he walked into the kitchen ½ and hour later, he was surprised to find that his mother was already awake.

"Hey Mom. You're up early", Lucas greeted her as he made his way towards the coffee maker to get himself a cup of coffee.

"I could say the same about you hon", Karen replied teasingly looking up at her son, "I was thinking that after the day you had yesterday, you won't leave your room before noon."

"Touché", Lucas grinned, some of his tension from last night fading away as he talked to his mother. She could always calm him down, without even knowing about it.

"So, what are you doing up so early?" Karen asked as she put a skillet on the stove.

"I woke up, and couldn't imagine myself going to sleep, so here I am", Lucas shrugged.

"I was looking forward to much interesting reason, but I guess that would do", Karen sighed, pretending to be disappointed.

"What, are we in high school mom?" Lucas asked laughing.

"I wish. Those were the good times", Karen sighed wistfully, the atmosphere in the room changing completely.

"Yea, they were", Lucas agreed, thinking back to the time he had spent in high school. What wouldn't he give to get that time back again?

"There's no use living in the past Luke", Karen said looking at her son like only a mother could.

"I know", Lucas sighed, "But it's just so hard to let it go sometimes".

"It's always hard to let go of the good times Luke. But right now is not the time to reminisce about the past. It's a beautiful morning and my son's back in town after 3 years. I want this to be a happy morning. So no more feeling depressed, okay?" Karen asked smiling.

"Only for you mom", Lucas agreed returning his mom's smile.

"Good. Now why don't you sit on the table and tell me about that last three years, while I fix us some breakfast", Karen suggested.

"Depends if the said breakfast is—"

"French toast", Karen interrupted with an all-knowing smile on her face.

"You remembered?" Lucas asked beaming.

"Honey, it's been your favorite breakfast since you could talk. How could I not remember?" Karen asked laughing.

"Fair point", Lucas agreed as he made his way to the table with a cup of coffee in his hands. "But mom, you said that you didn't expect me to be awake till noon, then how come you had the coffee and French toast batter ready?"

"Call it maternal instincts", Karen said teasingly as her eyes sparkled in happiness.

And that's when it hit Lucas.

"You knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep, didn't you? You knew that after the day I had, no matter how tired I was, I wasn't going to fall asleep," Lucas said stunned as he looked at his mother. That woman never missed a thing.

"Maybe", Karen replied coyly.

"Mom, you've got to teach me how to do all this mind-reading thing", Lucas insisted with a childish twinkle in his eyes.

"It's not something that can be learned or taught. It just comes with time, especially when you have kids. Just wait till you are a dad, you'll know exactly what your kid is thinking before he or she even knows about it", Karen said wisely.

"Kids", murmured Lucas, as if in a trance. His mother's words had brought up the issue Lucas was desperately trying to suppress at least for a while.

"Well you do plan on having some right?" Karen asked curiously, "You've always loved the idea of being a dad".

"That was ages ago, mom", Lucas protested. Truth was, he had only imagined himself having kids with one woman, and once she was gone from his life, so was his dream of having kids.

Even though Lindsay was his wife, he couldn't imagine having kids with her. It somehow always felt wrong. Sure they had discussed this matter countless times, but his answer had always been the same: _someday_. But he knew that with Lindsay, that someday would never come.

"Well I certainly hope you haven't changed your mind. I would love to have grandchildren", Karen said, carefully choosing her words, as she brought two plates of warm french toasts and a bottle of syrup to the table.

"Thanks mom, these look great", Lucas complimented as he dug in the plate in front of him. Taking a bite in his mouth, he savored the taste of his favorite breakfast. It has been more than a year since he had had french toasts, and even then they weren't as good as these. He had forgotten how good of a cook his mom was.

"Mom, why does Allison call you grandmother?" Lucas blurted out 5 minutes later. He honestly had no intention of saying that, it just slipped out.

Karen looked up from her plate, surprise etched on her face. She didn't know why she was surprise though. She knew the question was coming, she just didn't think it would be so soon. She knew that this question had to be answered very carefully, Peyton's trust was on line.

Turning her facial expression into an amused one, she answered, "You noticed huh? Well there's definitely a story behind that. We were at Nathan and Haley's house. It was Jamie's 7th birthday celebration. After dinner and cake, we were all sitting in the living room while Jamie opened his presents. When he opened Deb's present, he saw it was the video game he had wanted for ages. Jumping up from where he was sitting, Jamie ran to Deb and said, _thank you grandma, _and gave her a hug. Allison was 18 months old at that time, and was copying everything we were saying. So when she heard Jamie called Deb grandma, she walked over to where I was sitting, took my hand in hers and called me grandma. And I knew at that very moment, that grandma was the only thing I wanted that little girl to call me".

"Oh", Lucas whispered, disappointment filling him. That whole explanation, while extremely cute, didn't answer any of his questions. It just added more.

"And Peyton was okay with that?" Lucas asked, voicing the first question that had popped into his head.

"Of course, I mean she's like my daughter so we thought it was only natural for her daughter to call me grandma", Karen said. Then looking at Lucas' disappointed face, she couldn't help asking, "Why, were you expecting something else?"

"No, I was just—" Lucas mumbled before trailing off. His tongue was itching to ask the question that has been haunting him since last night, but his mind wouldn't let him. While he was dying to know the truth, he didn't think he could handle the answer.

"Lucas you know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Karen asked concerned, looking at his son's conflicted face.

"I know, I just—I don't---Is Allison my daughter?" Lucas burst out, unable to keep the question inside him any longer.

"What?" breathed Karen, not believing her ears. Did her son just ask her that?

_So I lay my head back down  
And I lift my hands and pray  
To be only yours_

"Is Allison my daughter?" Lucas repeated, an almost desperate look in his eyes.

"Why would you say that?" Karen asked trying to sound surprised, but her heart was racing inside her chest. What was she supposed to answer him? On one hand, she would love to tell her son that Allison was indeed his, but on the other hand, Peyton's trust was one stake here. This decision wasn't hers to make, it simply wasn't her place to tell.

"Mom, me and Peyton had a one-night stand one week before I got married to Lindsay. I know she told you that. I just need to know if Allison is mine", Lucas pleaded.

Karen knew that it would come down to a yes or no answer, but that didn't make it any easier. She rarely lied to her children, and it wasn't something she particularly enjoyed.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to meet Lucas' eyes, and uttered the biggest lie she had ever told her son.

"No, she isn't yours". Just as she had uttered those 4 words, she saw Lucas' face crumble in front of her eyes, and she had never hated herself more. His son was a father, and she had lied to him about it to his face. She knew that Peyton was the only one he had imagined himself having kids, and she had crushed the only hope he had left.

But as her mind wander to Peyton and Allison, she knew that she had made the right decision. Telling Lucas about Allison had to be Peyton's decision. She had made a promise to keep her secret and she was going to stick to it. But even though it was the right thing to do, she couldn't help but doubt herself as she saw the pain her words had caused her son.

Lucas felt his face crumble at his mother's words. He didn't know 4 simple words could cause so much pain. He knew that the answer would hurt, he just didn't know it would be this painful. He had lain awake all night, only one question haunting his thoughts. And even though he had craved answers at that time, he wished he never found out the truth. Anything was better than the disappointment bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

Ever since Lindsay had pointed out that Ally might be his daughter, there was a little, okay a huge part of him that wished that Ally was actually his. Hadn't he immediately felt a connection with the girl? Didn't holding her felt like home to him? Then why couldn't she be his? Did fate hate him so much as to take away every glimmer of hope he had ever felt in the last 3 years.

Peyton was the only woman he had imagined having kids with, and for a glorious moment he actually felt that maybe, just maybe his wish had come true. He felt that if Allison was actually his daughter, then she was his connection to Peyton, and just the loss of that knowledge was enough for his heart to break all over again.

He knew he should have been happy. Relieved that his night with Peyton hadn't resulted in any long term consequences. But he knew deep down that nothing with Peyton could have resulted in consequences. He had told her that night that what they did was a mistake. But nothing could be more farther from the truth because nothing he had done with Peyton had been a mistake. Brooke was a mistake, Anna was a mistake and now he was coming to terms with the fact that Lindsay might have been a mistake as well.

Sitting in the kitchen table looking at his half finished plate of breakfast, he replayed his mother's words till he felt like he was going to be sick. He should have been happy, he should have been relieved, but at that time, the only thing he was feeling was a sick feeling of disappointment mixed with hurt. As he pictured the bubbly blonde little girl, he realized with full force what it would have meant to him to be her father. And as the realization of what he had lost hit him with full force, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of his heart die inside of his chest.

_I pray to be only yours  
I pray to be only yours  
I know now you're my only hope_

* * *

**A/N**: I know you guys hate me for this chapter! I would hate myself too, but I thought it added more essence to the story line. I had a completely different idea for this chapter, but when I started writing it, my imagination took me on a completely different road! It the original chapter, I had intended for a Breyton/ Allison conversation, but I decided to stop here to keep the essence of the scene intact. The last scene is extremely deep and dramatic towards the ends, and I wanted to do justice to it. Don't hate Karen too much, she was doing the right thing even though it might not look like that to many of you.

There is so much emotion in the second scene, and even though it was my favorite scene of the story so far, I am very very nervous about it. I hope I did a good job with it, so please tell me what you guys thought about it, I really need feedback for this one.

Also, for as to when Lucas will really find out that Allison is his, it will be in 2-3 chapters! I have the next 2 chapters planned, so if things go according to schedule, chapter 7 will end with a cliffie that will lead to the confession in chapter 8! So, it's definitely not a long wait.

Highlights for next chapter: The long belated Breyton/ Allison talk and Allison spend the whole day with her daddy! So next chapter will be the complete opposite of this, filled with lots of fluff, cuteness and humor between the father and daughter! I personally am really excited about it! So keep the reviews coming and the chapter will be up by tomorrow!

Once again, thank you so, so much for the brilliant reviews last chapter! I am thankful for every single one of them. I sincerely hope that all you loyal readers aren't disappointed in this chapter!

With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please leave a **REVIEW!**

**Song:** _Only Hope- Mandy Moore_


	6. A day out with the princess

Chapter 6: A day out with the Princess

_Last Chapter:_

_As he pictured the bubbly blonde little girl, he realized with full force what it would have meant to him to be her father. And as the realization of what he had lost hit him with full force, he couldn't help but feel a little bit of his heart die inside of his chest._

_

* * *

  
_

"Good morning", Brooke chirped cheerfully as Peyton made her way to the kitchen the next morning.

"Someone's way too happy this morning", Peyton grumbled as she made a bee-line to the coffee maker.

"And someone looks like they haven't slept all night", Brooke answered back in a sing-song voice.

"You wouldn't be able to sleep either if you had heard what Al said to me last night", Peyton sighed as she made her way to where Brooke was sitting.

"Peyt Al was sleeping when we put her to bed last night", Brooke said, looking up from the magazine she was reading with a confused look on her face.

"She was, but when I was leaving the room, she sort of gained consciousness and said, _I told you mommy, I told you that daddy would come back._ By the time her words actually sunk in, she was asleep again", Peyton sighed.

"Are you sure she actually said that? I mean you could be hallucinating", Brooke said seriously.

"Brooke do you seriously think I would hallucinate something like this? God, I don't know what to do!" Peyton cried desperately.

"You have to tell her P", Brooke said simply.

"Tell her what Brooke? The fact that Lucas is her father? She already knows that, thanks to you and Nathan", Peyton snapped sarcastically.

"You have to make a decision Peyton", Brooke said ignoring Peyton's remark.

"What decision?" Peyton asked confused.

"Whether you're going to let Lucas in Allison's life or not. And I don't just mean the friend/ uncle type of relationship either. You have to decide whether you're going to tell Lucas the truth about Allison or not", Brooke stated.

"I can't Brooke. I can't tell him the truth. I can't ruin his life, by springing an illegitimate child on him. It won't be fair to him", Peyton said miserably.

"Peyton you're never going to ruin his life by telling him about Allison. You know he would want to know. He'd be lucky to have Allison in his life", Brooke said choosing her words carefully.

"It's 3 years too late, Brooke. I know it's my fault, but I don't want to be the one that throws his perfect life spiraling out of control. Its best if some things remain untold", Peyton said emotionally.

"But what about Allison? What are you going to tell her? That girl had been wishing for her father ever since she could talk. Now that he's finally here, you're going to tell her that she can't be a part of his life? It's going to crush her, Peyton. She's doesn't deserve this", Brooke pleaded.

"I know she doesn't deserve this Brooke. Trust me I know. I feel like the world's most horrible mother right now. I wish things were different, but they're not. Al deserves a dad but at the same time I can't let Lucas in her life. I am sorry", Peyton whispered brokenly as tears flowed from her eyes for what seemed the millionth time in the last 24 hours.

"It's not your fault honey, and you're definitely not a horrible mother. Ally loves her mommy. You have done an amazing job with her. And while it doesn't seem like it right now, it's going to be okay", Brooke comforted as she enveloped her best friend in a hug, a few tears slipping from her eyes as well.

"I am going to tell her today", Peyton resolved once she had composed herself, "With Lucas being in the same town and all, she need to know immediately before she lets something slip".

"Okay. We'll do it at breakfast", Brooke confirmed.

"Thanks Brooke. You have no idea how much this means to me. I know you don't agree with me—"

"But you're my best friend and I promised to support you no matter what. This doesn't change that", Brooke interrupted.

"She's going to be so upset Brooke", Peyton said softly after a little while.

But before Brook had a chance to speak, a small voice interrupted the two friends.

"Who's going to be upset mommy?"

Brooke and Peyton looked up to see a sleepy Allison standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen.

"Good morning, baby. Did you sleep well?" Peyton asked, evading her previous question.

"Yes, I did. I had a good dream too", Allison said with a big smile on her face.

"Well that's always good", Brooke confirmed with a smile of her own, "So what do you say about breakfast young one?"

"I am hungry", Allison nodded as she rubbed her stomach.

"Well that's good cause your Aunt Brooke just made some really delicious cereal. Now why don't we go upstairs, brush your teeth, change your clothes and then get back here to eat the most important mean of the day", Brooke asked as she walked towards where her goddaughter was standing.

"If I have to", Allison said with an exaggerated sigh.

"Oh stop being such a drama queen", Brooke laughed as she picked the little girl up and made her to the stairs.

"Well look who she has for a godmother. Does it really surprise you that she's a drama queen?" Peyton shouted from the kitchen, only to receive laughter in response.

--

15 minutes later, Brooke and Allison entered in the kitchen once more to find the table set for breakfast and Peyton sitting in one of the chairs reading a magazine.

Looking up at the approaching footsteps of her daughter and best friend, Peyton put down the magazine and gave her daughter a bright smile. She was dressed in a bright yellow t-shirt and shorts, and her hair was up in a pony tail. Her whole appearance just screamed _Brooke_.

Seeing her mother smile at her, Allison broke free of Brooke's grip and launched herself into Peyton's waiting arm.

Stepping back after a couple of seconds, Allison spread her arms and twirled around, showing off her new outfit.

"Do you like my new clothes mommy? Aunt Brooke says they are completely _classsyyyy_", Allison said in a sing song voice, stretching the last word.

"She did didn't she?" Peyton asked giving Brooke an amused smile who just looked back innocently.

Realizing that she hadn't given her daughter an answer, she quickly said, "It's very beautiful, honey".

"I told you she'd like it kiddo", Brooke boasted as she picked Allison and placed her in her chair.

The trio ate their breakfast in silence, but as it neared its end, the tension in the room grew. Peyton and Brooke exchanged nervous glances not knowing how to bring up the 'big bad daddy' topic.

But they didn't have to worry for long, because the second Allison was done with her breakfast, she brought up the topic herself.

"So my daddy's here", Allison said suddenly, catching both Peyton and Brooke by surprise.

"Yeah, he is", Peyton confirmed quietly, not knowing she would handle this situation.

"Do I get to tell him that he's my daddy?" Allison questioned looking pleadingly at her mother.

"Yeah, honey, you see that's what mommy and Aunt Brooke wanted to talk to you about", Peyton started hesitantly, "You know that your daddy just came here yesterday?"

"Yes", Allison nodded.

"And you also know that he doesn't know about you", Brooke asked

"Yes", Allison said again, but this time there was sadness in her voice.

"Well you see honey, we don't think we should tell your daddy about you", Peyton said quickly before she lost her nerve.

"Why not?" Allison whispered, as she felt tears prick her eyes.

"Honey your dad doesn't know about you, and your mom doesn't think it's a smart move to tell him about you so soon after he came back", Brooke said trying to salvage the situation.

"But that's not fair. I want him to know that he's my daddy", Allison cried as tears started flowing from her eyes, and it took all that Peyton had in her to not break down on the spot.

However before she could say anything to comfort her daughter, Brooke took matters out of her hand.

"We will tell him honey, but just not yet. We want him to settle down first before we tell him about you. Does that make any sense?" Brooke asked comfortingly.

"You promise that you will tell him about me?" Allison asked tearfully.

"I promise. But not just right now. Do you think you can keep this a secret a little longer?" Brooke asked gently.

"I guess", Allison said softly as her tears subsided.

"That's my girl", Brooke said proudly, "So you're not going to tell your daddy anything until your mom or I tell you otherwise. Deal?"

"Deal. But you will tell him soon right?" Allison asked with so much hope in her eyes that it made Brooke's heart ache for the little girl in front of her.

"Very soon", Brooke promised as she kissed the little girl lightly on her cheek, "Now why don't you go play while I talk with your mom?"

"Okay", Allison consented running out of the kitchen.

Peyton who had been listening to the whole conversation with a horrified look on her face, turned towards Brooke the second her daughter left the room.

"What the hell was that about Brooke?" Peyton spat with a fierce look in her eyes, "You weren't supposed to give her hope. Lucas isn't supposed to know. Not now, not ever. Why would you make such a deal with her?"

"Well I am sorry for not wanting to crush the little girl's hope. I did what we were supposed to do. I ensured that she kept quiet until you reconsider your decision of telling Lucas", Brooke shot back angrily.

"I am not reconsidering any decision Brooke. Lucas doesn't find out, and that's all there is to it", Peyton insisted stubbornly.

"Listen to yourself Peyton. Do you seriously think this will be kept a secret for long? This a small town, nothing is a secret here. Not to mention that with time Lucas will figure this out. What are you going to do when he confronts you about it? Lie to his face? He will find out one way or another Peyton, but I think it will be for everyone's best interest that he hears it from you", Brooke said and with that she marched out of the kitchen leaving Peyton to her conflicted thoughts.

--

"Allison will you please hurry up?" Brooke screeched from the front door.

"Coming", Allison shouted right back as she bounced down the stairs and ran towards where Brooke was impatiently waiting for her.

"It doesn't take 5 minutes to get Mr. Cuddles you know", Brooke grumbled as she pointed to the teddy bear in Allison's hands.

"I had to say good bye to all my other toys too Aunt Brooke", Allison said in a _duh_ kind of voice.

"Of course, how could I forget the never ending good byes", Brooke said sarcastically, as she ushered Allison outside and locked the door behind her.

Allison raced towards the car and once there, she turned to look at Brooke with a smug smile on her face.

"Now who's the slow one? I got to the car before you", Allison gloated while doing a ridiculously cute happy dance.

"I didn't know it was a race", Brooke remarked as she reached Allison next to the car.

But before she could do so much as move a step farther, she was interrupted by a loud honking sound.

Turning around, she was surprised to see a smiling Lucas Scott getting off his car.

"Hey Brooke, Allison", Lucas greeted as he walked towards the pair.

"Hey Lucas", Brooke greeted while Allison looked down shyly. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, but I see that you guys are obviously going somewhere", Lucas said as he pointed towards the car.

"I have to go to the store for a couple of hours. It was my day off, but they called me in for some sort of an emergency. So here we are", Brooke explained.

"And you're taking Allison with you? Where's Peyton?" Lucas asked curiously.

"Today is one of those rare days when Peyton has some band meeting and couldn't take Al with her, and since it was my day off she left her with me. So now that I have to go to the store, she'll be coming with me as well", Brooke replied.

"Oh, okay", Lucas said nodding, not knowing what to say.

"I really have to go Lucas, I am sorry", Brooke said as she glanced at her watch.

"Would it be okay if I baby-sit Allison today?" Lucas asked abruptly.

"What?" Brooke asked completely taken aback.

"I can take care of her today while you go do whatever you have to do. I am pretty good with kids and it'll give me a chance to get to know her", Lucas pleaded.

"Luke, I am not sure if this is a good idea", Brooke said hesitantly.

"Please Brooke. I'll bring her back whenever you want me to, wherever you want me to. And I promise I'll take very good care of her", Lucas insisted.

"I know you will Luke. But, Peyton—"

"I'm just asking to spend a couple of hours with her. It's not like I'm going to kidnap her or anything", Lucas said jokingly.

"Luke—"

"Look why don't we let Allison decide", Lucas interrupted looking down Allison who was looking at the two adults talk with great fascination.

Lowering himself till he was eye-level with her, Lucas took her small hands into his big ones and asked, "So what do you say Princess? You want to spend the day with me?"

Meeting Lucas' intense gaze shyly, Allison hesitantly nodded.

"Well that clears all matters", Lucas said straightening up, a big smile on his face. "Come on Brooke, give in. Don't be such a spoilsport".

"Fine", Brooke sighed knowing that she had lost the argument. The second Brooke saw Allison nod, she knew matters were out of her hand. "But before you go, I need to talk to Allison privately".

Taking the little girl by the arm, Brooke gently led her to a safe distance away from Lucas until they were out of earshot.

"Why'd you do that honey?" Brooke asked gently as she bended down until she was level with her goddaughter, "After what we talked about this morning, why did you agree to spend the day with Lucas?"

"You told me not to tell him that he was my daddy. You didn't say I wasn't allowed to spend time with him", Allison looked down ashamed, as a couple of tears escaped her eyes; "I am sorry Aunt Brooke. Don't be angry with me".

"It's okay honey. I am not angry", Brooke comforted Allison as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"Does that mean I can go with dad—I mean Lucas?" Allison asked excitedly.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Brooke asked resignedly, already knowing what her answer was going to be. And sure enough, the question had barely left her mouth when she saw Allison eagerly nod her head, her face breaking into a pleased grin.

"Okay then. But remember our deal, okay? No telling Lucas who he is until your mom tells you its okay. Got it?" Brooke asked sternly.

"Got it", Allison nodded exuberantly, glancing back to where Lucas was patiently waiting for the pair, "Can we go now?"

"Yes, I guess we can", Brooke sighed as she straightened up. Grasping Allison's hand in hers again, Brooke made her way towards Lucas, plastering a smile on her face.

"Ready?" Lucas asked Allison once she was in front of him.

"Yea", Allison nodded eagerly, all her previous shyness leaving her.

"Alright", Lucas said as he held his hand out for the little girl to grasp.

"Thanks Brooke", Lucas said sincerely as he and Allison made to leave.

"I am not doing it for you, I am doing it for her", Brooke replied back, praying with all her might that she wasn't making a mistake.

--

"So what do you want to do?" Lucas asked once Brooke had left.

"I don't know. Anything", Allison replied, a little self conscious now that Brooke was gone.

"Well, I heard there's a carnival in town for a couple of days. You interested?" Lucas asked.

"Will it be fun?" Allison asked innocently.

"You've never been to a carnival before?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"No. We were supposed to go on Jamie's birthday, but then it started raining", Allison explained in a sad voice.

"Well that just won't do will it? A beautiful girl like you, never been to a carnival? We just have to rectify that", Lucas said enthusiastically.

"What's recitify?" Allison asked, having a hard time pronouncing the new word.

"It means change. But I mean it, carnivals are loads of fun. You're going to have a great time there, I promise", Lucas insisted.

"Let's go then", Allison said excitedly, her bright eyes twinkling with happiness.

"Now that's my girl", Lucas laughed, but felt a familiar pang in his heart as the words escaped his mouth. It just highlighted the fact that Allison _wasn't _his girl.

"Can we walk there?" Allison asked quickly as she saw Lucas lead them towards his car.

"You want to walk? Are you sure? It's a little far", Lucas asked concerned as he eyed the little girl looking up expectantly at him.

"I can handle it. I am a big girl", Allison said, standing up straight as if to prove her point. "And anyways, Mommy and I take long walks around the town every weekend. It's so much fun".

"I am sure it is. Your mommy is a fun person", Lucas said a little wistfully as his past once again came back to mock him.

"She is. So are we leaving or what?" Allison questioned eagerly.

"I am right behind you", Lucas said as Allison gave a _whoop_ of delight and broke into a run.

"Hey buddy, no running", Lucas called out as he set out to catch her.

"I'll stop once you catch me", Allison shouted back, her tiny voice filled with laughter.

"Oh that's it", Lucas said, as he finally managed to catch up with the over-excited 3 year.

"Let me go", she screeched with laugher as Lucas swung her over his shoulder.

"Only if you promise to not run anymore. We can't have you getting tired just 10 minutes after we started", Lucas chided gently.

"Fine, fine. I promise. But if I do get tired you're here to pick me up aren't you?" Allison asked giggling looking deeply into her father's eyes.

"I am here. I'll always be here", Lucas whispered, and before he could stop himself, he found himself leaning forward and press a light kiss to her flushed cheeks.

Delighted by the physical contact, Allison snuggled close to her father's chest and gave him a sweet kiss on both his cheeks. And Lucas couldn't remember the last time he had felt so elated.

"You can put me down now, you know. I am not tired", Allison said after a couple of minutes as the pair walked in comfortable silence.

Lucas nodded slightly, and gently lowered the girl on her foot, his body tingling as it lost contact with Allison.

But his disappointed was short lived, because the second Allison was completely steady on her feet, her tiny hands immediately grasped his big ones, and Lucas felt his love for the little girl grow even more.

"Mommy says I am not allowed to walk in the streets without holding an adult's hand. She says I might get lost, or worse the bad people might come and get me", Allison explained as she pointed to their interlocked hands.

"Hey, I am not complaining. And for what it's worth, your mom is completely right. We don't want anything happening to you, now do we?" Lucas asked laughing slightly.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Allison asked quietly.

"Of course you can", Lucas ensured, extremely touched by her question. She hadn't known him for more than a day, and she was willing to trust him. That thought by itself was enough to warm his heart.

"I am afraid of the bad guys. I am afraid that they'll take me away from my mommy. I can't live without my mommy", Allison confessed in such a small voice that Lucas had to strain his ears to catch her words. To say that he was stunned at her confession would be the understatement of the century. Of everything he was expecting her to tell him, this wasn't anywhere close to his speculations.

Bending down, he lifted her chin and forced him to meet his eyes.

"Baby, there's nothing to be scared of. No one will take you away from your mommy. No one has the guts. Don't ever think for a second that you will have to live without your mommy", Lucas said comfortingly as he pulled Allison into a hug.

"You promise?" Allison asked in a muffled voice from where her head was resting on his shoulder.

"I promise", Lucas confirmed, and he knew this was a promise that he would never break.

After a couple of seconds, Allison broke from his embrace and gave his a small reassuring smile to tell her that she was okay.

"Shall we continue?" Lucas asked smiling, and Allison fervently nodded her head.

"You know everyone has a nickname for me", Allison said after a couple of minutes.

"Is that right?" Lucas asked interested.

"Yea. Aunt Brooke calls me Al or honey, Uncle Nathan likes to call me Ally bear and mommy and grandma Karen have a thousand others", Allison said ticking off the names on her fingers.

"Can I have a nickname for you as well?" Lucas asked hopefully.

"I would like that", Allison replied somewhat shyly, but her voice betrayed her enthusiasm.

"What do you like me to call you?" Lucas questioned smiling at her positive response.

"Hmmm……What about Princess?" Allison replied after a moment.

"Princess sounds perfect", Lucas affirmed giving Allison an adoring smile, as he felt his connection with the girl growing with each passing second.

"Oh look, we're here", Allison said surprised as she looked up to see the bright tell tale colors of the carnival right in front of them.

"Wow that was fast", Lucas muttered as he realized that they were indeed at their destination.

Allison took a moment to look at the sight in front of her. This was her first time at a carnival and she was amazed at the colors, sounds and liveliness that radiated from that place.

Excitement shone in her eyes as she literally dragged Lucas to the entrance of the carnival where they got into the long line at the ticket booth.

"So you excited?" Lucas asked as he looked at the little girl who seemed to be enthralled by everything around her.

"This is awesome", Allison breathed, amazement evident in her voice,

"This is nothing. Wait till you get inside", Lucas said as the excitement on Allison's face increased ten fold.

"How long do we have to wait in this stupid line anyways?" Allison grumbled after a couple of seconds.

"Not long. There are only 2 more groups in front of us. We'll be inside before you know it", Lucas said soothingly trying to get the get Allison to stop fidgeting.

Finally the line came to an end, and after paying for their tickets, Lucas tightly grasped Allison's hand in his and followed a huge crowd of people inside.

The second they stepped into the huge ground where the carnival was held, Allison felt her eyes widen. She had never seen anything like this in her life. Hundreds of tables were lined around the whole place, most of them displaying different types of games and foods. But the things that got her attention the most were the rides. They were something completely foreign to her and she completely fascinated by them.

Lucas chuckled as he saw the way Allison's eager eyes seemed to be drinking everything around her. She looked so happy, so excited and Lucas couldn't help but feel pleased that he was the first person she was experiencing this with. Deciding that she had had enough time to look around, Lucas interrupted her thoughts.

"So are you going to stand there staring all day or are you ready to have some serious fun princess?"

"Can we go on everything? I want to try everything except for that big wheel", Allison said as she pointed to the Ferris wheel with a hint of fear in her eyes.

"Of course we can", Lucas assured her, "But why don't you want to go on the ferris wheel? It's a lot of fun".

"I don't like tall things", Allison confessed, and Lucas realized that she was afraid of heights.

"Hey baby, there's nothing wrong with tall things. Why don't you try sitting on the ferris wheel with me?" Lucas suggested.

"Nuh-uh", Allison shook her head stubbornly.

"Oh come on. Why not? It'll be fun", Lucas insisted.

"I am afraid", Allison said softly.

"I know you don't. But I also know that you are a big girl. You're my princess, and princesses are brave; they are not afraid of anything. And if it makes you feel better, I used to be afraid of tall things too", Lucas said.

"Really?" Allison asked surprised.

"Yup. And you know how I got over my fear?" Lucas asked.

"How?" Allison asked intrigued.

"When I was about your age, my Uncle Keith took me to a carnival very much like this one and made me go on the ferris wheel with him. And you know what the surprising part is? I fell in love with it. I liked it so much that I forced him to take me on it 5 times", Lucas laughed as he remembered back to the good old days.

"What if I get scared? What if I don't like it?" Allison asked fearfully.

"I'll be right beside you the whole time. I won't let anything happen to you", Lucas promised.

"Okay", Allison said giving in after a couple of seconds.

"Now that's _my_ princess", Lucas said proudly as he led Allison to the ferris wheel.

"If I get scared, can I hold your hand?" Allison asked hesitantly.

"Of course you can. I'll be right next to you when you need me", Lucas said comfortingly.

--

"Open your eyes baby", Lucas whispered softly. Once the ferris wheel had started moving, Allison had tightly shut her eyes and was refusing to open them.

"No", Allison mumbled.

"Fine, but we're not getting off this until you open your eyes", Lucas said seriously.

"You can't do that", Allison gasped in anger, but in the process, she had accidentally opened her eyes and her words died in her mouth as she looked in the sight around her.

They were about a 100 feet in the air and could see the entire city of Tree Hill from their position.

"Wow", Allison breathed as she looked into the amused eyes of her father.

"It's pretty huh? You can see all of Tree Hill from here", Lucas said.

"I'm flying", Allison laughed as she started letting go of her fear and began enjoying the ride.

"I told you you'd like it", Lucas teased.

--

"Can we go on it again? Please? Please?" Allison begged once their ride was over.

"The line is too long baby. Why don't we go check out the other rides and then come back on this one?" Lucas suggested smiling.

"Alright fine", Allison grumbled as she saw for herself how long the line for the ferris wheel was.

"So where to next?" Lucas asked looking around.

"The horses", Allison said excitedly as she pointed to the carousel.

"Okay, the horses it is", Lucas confirmed. But he had only taken a couple of steps when he realized that Allison wasn't following him.

Turning around with a confused smile, he saw her looking at him with an adoring smile that seemed to touch his soul.

"You okay princess?" Lucas asked concerned.

But instead of answering his question, she uttered the three words that had Lucas' head spinning with pleasure.

"Thank You Lucas".

And Lucas knew without a doubt that at this moment, he was happier than he had ever been in the past 3 years.

Allison might not be his daughter, but there was definitely a connection between them. After all, she was _his princess._

_

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_**A/N:** Here you go, the latest installment of Too Far Gone. This chapter was really, really hard for me to write, and I sincerely hope that you liked it. I tried to keep it as natural as possible, and I hope I did a good job at defining the characters. I wanted Allison to experience some of her first's with Lucas (carnival) and I was especially fond of the idea that Lucas help Allison overcome her fear of heights. I had much more planned for this chapter, but it was already getting too long and I have school tomorrow, so I had to wrap it up right here. I am little iffy about the ending, but I hope it fits in well!

Highlights for next chapter: Lucas returns Allison home & then the story will skip to three days later- Lucas tucks Allison into bed, Breyton talk about telling Lucas the truth, Lucas overhears the conversation….dun dun dun!

The chapter you guys have been so desperately been waiting for is up next! So keep the awesome reviews coming and once I get about 30 reviews, I'll post up the next chapter!

With that said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please, please, please leave a **REVIEW **and tell me what you thought about this chapter!


	7. Confusions & Revelations

Chapter 7: Confusions & Revelations

_Last chapter:_

"_Thank You Lucas"._

_And Lucas knew without a doubt that at this moment, he was happier than he had ever been in the past 3 years._

_Allison might not be his daughter, but there was definitely a connection between them. After all, she was his princess._

_

* * *

  
_

_Trouble will find you no matter where you go, oh oh.  
No matter if you're fast no matter if you're slow, oh oh.  
The eye of the storm or the cry in the mourn, oh oh.  
You're fine for a while but you start to loose control._

"Brooke?" Peyton screamed as she slammed the front door behind her.

"In the kitchen", Brooke screamed back.

Throwing her bag haphazardly on the floor, Peyton quickly made her way to the said destination.

"What's all the screaming for P. Sawyer?" Brooke asked not looking up from the B. Davis magazine she was reading.

"Brooke put the damn magazine down. I need to talk to you", Peyton screeched in a near hysterical tone.

"Woah, what's got….." Brooke trailed off as she looked at the wild look on her friends face.

"I am dead, Brooke. I am so dead", Peyton moaned as she relayed the past 30 minutes in her head. She couldn't believe how such a relatively normal day had turned into a nightmare in such a short time.

"What happened Peyt?" Brooke demanded worried. She knew whatever Peyton was going to say next wasn't going to be good. _Had sometime happened to Allison and Lucas? _

"Lucas suspects Brooke. He suspects!" Peyton cried as she put her head in her hands, not knowing what to do.

"He suspects what Peyton?" Brooke choked out, her mouth suddenly feeling very dry.

"He suspects about Allison being his", Peyton mumbled monotonously still not lifting her head from her arms.

"What! How do you know?" Brooke almost yelled the panic coming on full mode now. Peyton didn't know that she had sent Allison with Lucas today. Could Lucas have known when he came to her house? Was that the reason he was so interested in spending the day with Allison? What if he said something to Allison? Oh god, she was in so much trouble now.

"Karen called me ½ an hour ago…." Peyton started as she remembered back to the call that had sent her day spiraling downwards.

_--Flashback—_

_Peyton had just arrived at Tric after interviewing one of her bands. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to going home and spending some quality time with her daughter. Just thinking of her little girl was enough to put a smile on her face. She was quickly distracted from her thoughts as she heard her cell phone ring._

_Smiling at the name flashing on the screen, she quickly flipped open her phone and put it to her ear._

"_Hey Karen", Peyton greeted._

"_Peyton, where have you been? I have been calling you since forever", Karen said in a strained voice._

"_I have been interviewing this band for the label, and I had my phone on vibration. What happened? Is everything okay?" Peyton asked, her smile faltering at the tone of Karen's voice._

"_Can you come over right now?" Karen asked, knowing that what she had to say to the younger woman had to be done face to face._

"_Sure. Is everything okay, though?" Peyton asked worriedly. Now she was sure something was up._

"_I'll tell you when I see you", Karen replied, and before Peyton could reply, she hung up the phone._

_Now deeply concerned, Peyton quickly locked up her office and made her way to her car._

_Driving as fast as she could without breaking the speed limit, she was in front of Karen's house in 5 minutes._

_Jumping out of the Comet, Peyton quickly made her way through the front yard and urgently knocked on the front door._

_In less that 5 seconds, the door was opened by an extremely cheerful Lily._

"_Hey Peyton", the little girl greeted enthusiastically._

"_Hey Lil", Peyton replied, her voice a little strained._

"_Come on in", Lily opened the door further to let Peyton in._

"_Where's your mom?" Peyton asked getting right to the chase._

"_Mom, your favorite daughter wants to know where you are", Lily screamed, and Peyton winced at the loud sound. That girl sure did have some strong lungs._

"_Send her to my room", Karen shouted back._

"_She doesn't even try to deny that you're her favorite daughter", Lily grumbled, but Peyton could see the mischievous twinkle behind the girl's eyes and knew that she was joking._

_Just smiling in response, Peyton hastily made her way to Karen's bedroom, and found the door to be wide open._

"_Come on in, and close the door behind you", Karen instructed._

"_What happened Karen? You're really scaring me", Peyton said nervously as she took a seat at the foot of Karen's bed._

"_Peyton, what I going to say is going to freak you out, but you need to listen to me before you start jumping to conclusions and—"_

"_Just say it Karen", Peyton interrupted firmly, her stomach twisting in anticipation._

"_This morning at breakfast, Lucas asked me if Allison was his daughter", Karen said bluntly as Peyton felt her heart stop beating._

"_What did you say?" Peyton whispered, feeling like she was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up._

"_I lied to him. I told him the biggest lie I had ever told my children. I saw his face crumble at my answer, but I kept my word to you", Karen replied gently._

"_How can he know? Did anyone tell him anything? Give him any hint? I don't—"_

"_He just added two and two together Peyton. It was bound to happen", Karen said soothingly._

"_But the timing was wrong. He shouldn't have figured it out. This wasn't supposed to happen", Peyton rambled, unable to grasp the situation._

"_Lucas is smarter than you give him credit for", Karen said seriously._

_Peyton nodded slowly, finding it hard to breathe. Words failed her as she tried to calm down her racing heart. Why did everything always happen to her?_

"_Thank you", Peyton said softly after a couple of minutes._

"_It wasn't my place to tell him", Karen replied simply knowing why she was thanking him._

_Nodding wordlessly, Peyton got up and made her way to the door._

"_You know just because I denied the truth to him today, doesn't mean he won't figure it out. This is a small town, it won't take him long to figure out the truth himself. And if I were you, I would tell him before he hears it from someone else", Karen advised._

"_I can't tell him Karen. I won't be responsible for ruining his life", Peyton whispered, and with that she was gone._

_--End Flashback—_

"—And here I am", Peyton finished with a sigh.

Brooke who had been listening to Peyton with a horrified look on her face, took a minute to let everything sink in before she started speaking.

"I honestly believed that the timing thing was going to throw him off for like a week or so. I mean I knew he would figure it out, but I didn't know that it would be this fast", Brooke said seriously.

"I don't know how I'll be able to keep this from him B. With him being around all the time, it will only be a matter of time before Ally breaks", Peyton sighed running a hand through her messy hair. She had officially hit rock bottom. No matter which way she looked, all she could see were questions and dead ends.

"Speaking of Ally, where is she?" Peyton asked looking around as if waiting to see her daughter run in the kitchen and jump into her arms.

"Brooke?" Peyton questioned again when she didn't receive any answer.

"Um, Peyton—you see-- um it wasn't really my fault—she uh—" Brooke stuttered with an incredibly guilty look on her face.

"Just spit it out Brooke. Where is Ally?" Peyton asked once again with a dangerously calm voice.

"She's with Lucas", Brooke blurted out unable to meet Peyton's fierce gaze.

"SHE'S WITH WHO?" Peyton screamed, her eyes bulging out of her face.

"Peyton I'm sorry—he just came over and I was leaving for the store and—"

"And you just decide to hand Ally to Lucas, despite knowing how delicate this situation is. Unbelievable, this is completely unbelievable", Peyton muttered, feeling nauseous.

"He took matters out of my hand Peyton. When he asked to spend the day with Al, I told him that it was a bad idea. But he totally disregarded me, and asked Al if she wanted to spend the day with him. And before I could say anything, Al just nodded, and I couldn't say anything anymore. I had no idea that he suspected either, or I would have never let him take her. You've got to believe me P", Brooke pleaded.

"This can't be happening. How long has she been with him?" Peyton asked quietly.

"7 hours", Brooke said softly after she had consulted the clock.

"7 hours", Peyton repeated faintly as if in a trance.

"I'll call him, and tell him to bring her home", Brooke said quietly as she took out her cell phone.

Brooke scrolled down her phonebook till she landed on Lucas' number. Pushing the _talk_ button, she put the phone to her ear and waited patiently for Lucas to pick up.

"Hey", she heard Lucas' voice from the other side of the line a couple of seconds later.

"Hey Luke. Where are you guys?" Brooke asked.

"We're at the carnival", Lucas replied, nearly shouting over the noises in the background.

"Oh. Where's Allison?" Brooke questioned.

"She's right here next to me. We're standing in a line to buy ice-cream", Lucas explained.

"Listen Lucas, can you bring Allison home", Brooke said quickly.

"Um sure. Right now?" Lucas asked, and Brooke could hear the disappointment seeping from his voice.

"Yeah. Peyton's home and its best if you guys come back as soon as you can", Brooke said quietly.

"Okay. Let me just buy her ice cream and then we'll be on our way", Lucas said in a resigned tone.

"You've been with her for 7 hours Lucas. I think that's pretty darn good for one day", Brooke said kindly.

"We'll be back in about 20 minutes", Lucas sighed and hung up the phone.

"They'll be home in 20 minutes", Brooke said as she looked at Peyton who was staring unblinkingly at the table.

Sure enough 20 minutes later, the door bell rang interrupting the tense silence in the kitchen.

"You better clear off that dazed look off your face before Al freaks out", Brooke advised as she made her way to answer the door.

_He's there in the dark,  
he's there in my heart,  
he waits in the winds  
he's gotta play a part.  
Trouble is a friend,  
yeah trouble is a friend of mine. Oh oh!_

--

Brooke had just opened the door when she felt two small hands going around her legs as Allison enveloped her legs in a bone-crushing hug.

"Good to see you too Al", Brooke laughed as she untangled Allison from her legs.

"I thought you were my mommy", Allison pouted as she looked up to face Brooke.

"Jeez, I can just feel the love", Brooke said with a mock-hurt look on her face.

"I love you Aunt Brooke. I just missed mommy", Allison explained.

"Mommy missed you too kiddo. She's in the kitchen so why don't you run down there and give her the biggest bear hug in the world", Brooke suggested.

Once Allison had ran away screaming, "Mommy, I am home", Brooke was left with a very uncomfortable looking Lucas at the door.

"Why don't you come in Luke", Brooke proposed.

"I don't think that's I good idea. I'll just go", Lucas muttered, hurt that Allison hadn't even said bye to him.

"I'm sure Allison would be upset if you left before she had a chance to say bye. She's just excited to see Peyton, it didn't mean that she forgot about you", Brooke said, correctly predicting his internal dilemma.

"I'll step in for a couple of minutes I guess", Lucas agreed as he walked inside the well-lit doorway.

"Great", Brook smiled as she closed the door and led him to kitchen.

_Trouble is a friend but trouble is a foe, oh oh.  
And no matter what I feed him he always seems to grow, oh oh.  
He sees what I see and he knows what I know, oh oh.  
So don't forget as you ease on down the road._

He had just entered the doorway leading to the kitchen when he felt his heart speed up as he looked at the scene in front of him.

Peyton was standing in the middle of the kitchen, hugging Allison tightly to her body as if she was her supply of oxygen, without which she wouldn't be able to survive. He saw Allison smile contently as she laid her head on her mother's shoulder, glad to be in her arms again.

They stayed in that position for a couple more minutes before Allison lifted her head from Peyton's shoulder and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I missed you mommy", Allison whispered as she stroked the soft skin of her mother's cheeks.

"I missed you too baby", Peyton whispered as she opened her eyes.

"Why are you crying mommy? Did you have a bad day?" Allison asked innocently as a few tears escaped Peyton's eyes.

"My day just got so much better honey", Peyton said honestly as she ran her fingers through her daughter's curly hairs. "How was your day? Did you have fun?"

"It was grrrreeeaattt. We went to the carnival and Lucas made me sit on that big wheel thing. I was so scared in the beginning, but Lucas said that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. And guess what? I am not scared of tall things anymore. We also went to the horse ride, the teacups and Lucas won a teddy bear for me in one of the game booths", Allison explained excitedly and Peyton knew without a doubt that today had been one of the best days of her daughter's life.

"I think I am going to leave", Lucas whispered to Brooke from where they were standing watching the mother-daughter interaction.

"Are you sure?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah", Lucas confirmed tearing his eyes from the scene in front of him.

He turned around and was just about to leave the room when he was interrupted.

"Wait Lucas", Allison called out as she made to get out of her mother's arms.

Surprised, Lucas turned around to see Allison breaking free of her mother's grasp and running towards him.

Lucas quickly opened his arms and caught her in his embrace without a second's hesitation.

"You were going to leave without saying bye", Allison pouted and immediately Lucas felt guilt flood him.

"I am sorry", Lucas whispered softly, knowing that at this time honesty was the best policy.

"I had a lot of fun today", Allison said shyly.

"Me too", Lucas said honestly.

"Thank you", Allison said for the second time that day, as she quickly kissed Lucas on his cheek.

"No. Thank _you_", Lucas whispered, as he quickly kissed Allison on her forehead and putting her down on her feet, he walked away without looking back.

He didn't think he could last one more second in that room without breaking down. It was as if he was suffocating, to be close to _her _and yet so far away. Despite standing a mere 10 feet away from him, she had never been so out of reach. And it was no one's fault but his.

_He's there in the dark,  
he's there in my heart,  
he waits in the winds  
he's gotta play a part.  
Trouble is a friend,  
yeah trouble is a friend of mine. Oh oh!_

_

* * *

  
_

3 DAYS LATER

Peyton was dragging a very reluctant Allison to bed, before she was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Brooke can you get that", Peyton screamed as she picked up a struggling Allison in her arms.

"Sure", Brooke replied, looking amused at the mother-daughter struggle.

A couple of seconds later, they heard the door open and Lucas Scott's voice infiltrated to where Peyton and Allison were standing.

"Hey Brooke", Lucas greeted as Brooke opened the door.

"Lucas, what are you doing here?" Brooke asked surprised. He was probably the last person she was expecting. After all, he had just left their house 5 hours ago.

Lucas had been over to Brooke and Peyton's place quiet a lot after the day he had spent with Ally three days ago. Peyton seemed to have accepted this, but that didn't mean that she wasn't on her toes the whole time he was there. Ally on the other hand, loved every second she spent with him. She was getting so attached to him that even Brooke was a little worried.

"I just can't see to stay away from here", Lucas smirked in response.

"It would certainly seem that way. You just left like 5 hours ago. Don't you have anything better to do that stalk 3 beautiful girls?" Brooke asked playfully.

"Don't flatter yourself Brooke. I came here to see just one beautiful girl. She has blond hair and blue eyes. Sound familiar?" Lucas asked teasingly.

"You think you're funny, don't you? We'll see who's laughing once Peyton has her way with you", Brooke said, clearly enjoying this conversation.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, a little fearful. He knew from the past that Peyton's wrath should always be avoided, or it can result in extremely unpleasant consequences.

"I mean Peyton was just taking a very reluctant Al upstairs to get ready for bed, but now that you're here, Al will put up a bigger struggle, causing Peyton to blow up on you", Brooke explained sweetly.

"Exaggerating much, B. Davis?" Peyton asked amusedly as she entered the hallway where Brooke and Lucas were standing.

Lucas' felt his face light up as soon as he saw Allison in Peyton's arms. And just as Brooke had predicted, she was putting up one hell of a fight against her mother's arms that were tightly wrapped around her.

"Didn't notice you were there P. Sawyer", Brooke replied back cheekily.

"Mommy, let me go", Allison whined as she gave up on the fight against Peyton's grip.

"You have to go to bed Ally. It's already past your bed time", Peyton repeated for what seemed like the millionth time.

"But I am not sleepy. See, I am wide awake", Allison insisted as she opened her eyes wide, showing her mother that she was indeed awake.

"I don't care if you are sleepy or not. It's 9:30 and I'm putting you to bed whether you like it or not", Peyton said in a tone bordering on finality.

"Lucas, tell mommy to let me stay awake a little longer", Allison pleaded as she turned to the Lucas with the puppy dog eyes that melted his heart.

"Your mom's right princess, it's getting pretty late. But before you get angry, hear me out, okay?" Lucas asked.

"Okay", Allison grumbled.

"Good. Now, you know you have to go to bed. So if you promise to go upstairs without any more complaints, instead of your mom, I'll tuck you in", Lucas promised.

"Seriously", Allison yelped.

"Yup", Lucas grinned.

"Awesome. You heard that mommy? Lucas is going to put me to bed today", Allison said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I heard", Peyton said, her mouth suddenly feeling extremely dry. She had handled Lucas' constant visits because she knew that he made Allison happy, but putting her to bed seemed to be crossing an invisible line. However, Peyton knew that there was nothing she could do to prevent it from happening. Not when Allison was so obviously excited about it.

Releasing Allison from her hold, Peyton watched as her daughter excitedly ran into the waiting arms of her father, screaming in delight as he threw her in the air and effortlessly caught her in his arms again.

"So anything I need to know before we head upstairs?" Lucas asked Peyton, snapping her out of her daze.

"Not really. All you've got to do is tuck her in and read her a short bed time story if she wants one. That's about it", Peyton explained lamely.

"And the good night kiss of course", Brooke put in as she walked forward and gave Allison a quick kiss on her cheek, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"Your turn Mommy", Allison said happily beckoning Peyton towards her.

Sighing, Peyton walked towards Allison who was still comfortably perched in Lucas' arms. Giving her a quick good night kiss, Peyton quickly stepped away wanting to keep as much distance between her and Lucas as possible. This was probably the closest she had been to him in the past three years, and the lack of distance was putting her mind and heart into a heated frenzy.

"Alright then. All set?" Lucas asked.

"Yup, let's go", Allison replied chirpily, "Good night mommy, good night Aunt Brooke".

"Wow, I have never see her so excited to go to bed", Brooke whispered wonderingly after Lucas and Allison were out of sight.

"Neither have I", Peyton confessed miserably. Her life was spiraling out of control, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Can we talk?" Brooke asked hesitantly after a couple of minutes.

"Yeah, sure", Peyton replied tiredly as she followed Brooke into the living room.

_So don't be alarmed if he takes you by the arm.  
I won't let him win, but I'm a sucker for his charm.  
Trouble is a friend,  
yeah trouble is a friend of mine. Oh oh!  
Oh how I hate the way he makes me feel.  
And how I try to make him leave; I try.  
Oh Oh I try!_

--

_Allison's room_

"Wow, your room's pretty cool", Lucas said as he carried Allison to her bed.

"You like it? Mommy and Aunt Brooke designed it before I was born", Allison explained.

"It's a perfect mixture of Brooke and Peyton", Lucas agreed.

"Can you read me a bed time story", Allison asked as she snuggled inside her comforter.

"Of course. Which one do you want to listen to?" Lucas asked as he made his way to the bookshelf across the room. It was completely filled with children books. It was obvious that Allison was an avid reader. Very much like he was at her age.

"Any of the Winnie the Pooh ones", Allison replied.

"Alright", Lucas said as he took out a copy of _In Which Piglet Is Entirely Surrounded By Water._

Making his way to her bed with the book securely under his arms, Lucas snuggled inside the blanket next to Allison and opened the book to page 1….

--

_Meanwhile in the living room downstairs…_

"What's up Brooke?" Peyton asked once they were seated across each other.

"I was thinking about Lucas and Allison," Brooke confessed.

"What about them?" Peyton asked quickly.

"Don't act Peyton. You know what I am talking about. Don't tell me you haven't noticed how attached Allison has become to Lucas in just 3 days", Brooke said harshly.

"What's your point Brooke?" Peyton snapped back.

"What are you doing Peyton?" Brooke asked softly.

"I don't know Brooke, I honestly don't know. It's like I have hit rock bottom and yet my life keeps on spiraling downwards. I have hit dead ends from every angle, and everything is just surrounded by darkness", Peyton said miserably.

"Everything's happening so much faster than we could have ever imagined", Brooke observed quietly.

"This wasn't supposed to happen Brooke. He wasn't supposed to come back, he wasn't supposed to know Allison, and he certainly wasn't supposed to become so close to her", Peyton ranted.

"Some things are just out of our hands Peyton", Brooke tried to comfort her distraught friend.

"These are not just some things, Brooke. This is my daughter's life that he's playing with. I know I should put a stop to all this, but I can't do it. I can't watch her eyes when I tell her that she can't spend time with Lucas anymore. He's already such an important part of her life", Peyton cried.

"Then tell him, Peyton. Tell him the truth", Brooke begged.

"Brooke, I am not—"

"Why not? Why not Peyton? And do not give me this crap about not wanting to ruin his life, because we both know that it's BS", Brooke interrupted sharply.

_He's there in the dark,  
he's there in my heart,  
he waits in the winds  
he's gotta play a part.  
Trouble is a friend,  
yeah trouble is a friend of mine. Oh oh!_

--

_Allison's room_

Allison's steady breathing beside him, and her lack of fidgeting made Lucas realize that she had fallen asleep. Closing the half read book in his hand, he placed it on her night stand and softly pulled himself out of the comforter, doing his best to be as quiet as possible.

Getting up from the bed, he felt Allison's pillow shift under his arms and saw a crumpled photograph fall from her bed and onto the floor.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Lucas quickly bent down and picked up the picture from the floor. Adjusting his eyes to the low lighting, he brought the picture close to his face and felt his heart stop as he saw the subject of the picture. It was _him_.

Thinking that he might be hallucinating, he quickly closed his eyes and opened them again to see that the picture was still in his hand and he was still the sole occupant of the picture. Feeling numb, he ran his hand through the picture unable to grasp what he was seeing. It was a picture of him that was taken after they had won the state championship in high school. He was still in his uniform, and had an ecstatic look on his face. He could remember that day clearly, it had been one the best days of his life. He and Peyton had gotten together that day. Everything seemed so unimportant at that time. If only life could be like that right now.

The picture had obviously been handled too much. It was crumpled and folded and looked like someone had spilled some sort of liquid on it. But he didn't care about any of that at the moment. The only thing he could think of was what this picture was doing under Allison's pillow. What did it all mean? Does Allison know him? And what the hell was she doing with a picture of him under her pillow?

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Lucas unknowingly turned the photo, and saw that the back had something written on it. Straining his eyes, he could make the words _I love you_ written on it, in what obviously seemed like a child's hand writing.

More confused than ever, Lucas inspected the picture from every angle hoping that it would give him some sort of answers. Disappointed when he didn't see anything else, Lucas put the picture back under Allison's pillow. Bending down, he gave Allison a soft kiss on her forehead, and turned to leave when he heard Allison mumble something incoherently in her sleep.

Smiling slightly, he turned around and was surprised to see her looking at him with half-closed eyes.

"What's wrong princess?" Lucas said quietly, but Allison seemed not to have heard him.

"I love you daddy", Allison mumbled sleepily and before Lucas could grasp what had just happened, she was asleep again.

_I love you daddy_. These 4 words revolved around his head, blocking away any coherent thoughts. Daddy. That's what she had called him. Was it true? Did his mother lie to him? He rubbed his temples, not knowing what to think, what to believe. All his rational thoughts had fled his minds, leaving them full of questions and inhibited emotions.

Suddenly out of all the confusion, came one coherent thought. _Peyton_. She was the key to all his answers.

As he walked outside, there was only one thing on his mind. He had to talk to Peyton. She had some explaining to do.

_So don't be alarmed if he takes you by the arm.  
I won't let him win, but I'm a sucker for his charm.  
Trouble is a friend,  
yeah trouble is a friend of mine. Oh oh!  
Oh how I hate the way he makes me feel.  
And how I try to make him leave; I try.  
Oh Oh I try!_

--

_Living room downstairs_

"I can't tell him because I am scared Brooke", Peyton whispered, hanging her head.

"Scared", Brooke echoed, "Of what?"

"I am scared that when I tell him, he will run away", Peyton confessed shamefully, "I can't handle that Brooke. I can't have him run away after knowing that Allison is his daughter".

"Oh Peyton", Brooke sighed, finally understanding Peyton's dilemma.

"He always runs away when things get hard. How will this be any different?" Peyton questioned desperately.

"You've got to trust him Peyton", Brooke said hesitantly.

"Trust him?" Peyton asked incredulously. "How the hell can I trust him after all he's done to me".

"I know its hard Peyton. Trust me, I know. But don't you think you owe it to all three of you to tell him the truth?" Brooke asked gently.

"I don't think Allison would be able to handle it if Lucas left now", Peyton whispered.

"And neither could you", Brooke interjected.

"I know what I am doing could end up in a disaster, but Brooke I don't see any other way out of it", Peyton cried.

"I don't know what to tell you except to come clean and tell Lucas the truth. He deserves to know P", Brooke encouraged.

"I know he deserves to know, dammit. I know he deserves to know that Allison is his daughter—"

"Allison is _my_ daughter?" said a stunned voice from the corridor, as Peyton felt her words die in her throat. Lucas Scott was standing in the doorway leading to the living room with an astounded look on his face. _Oh shit._

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N:** Here you go. The most anticipated chapter. I certainly hope I didn't disappoint!

I am sorry for not updating sooner, but school was so hectic, and totally took away all my writing time. But I hope this chapter makes up for the delay in update!

I also want to thank each and every one of you who reviewed last chapter! 45 reviews! I love you guys!!! Each and every review meant so much to me….thank you so, so much!

**Song: **_Trouble is a friend- Lenka_

**xxxxxxxxxxx IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! xxxxxxxxxxxx**

Now that Lucas finally knows the truth, how will he react to it? When I initially started writing this story, I was going to have Lucas accept the truth without question, but throughout the course of the story and from some of the reviews and PMs I have gotten, I am a little conflicted. And this is where all you awesome readers/ reviewers come in. The next chapter will be based on your decision, so get those creative brains thinking!

The next chapter can go in either one of two ways:

**Choice A:** Lucas finds out the truth and even though he is stunned, he accepts it without question. Peyton and him talk about the situation and decide to tell Allison about it. He talks to his mom, and have some family advice given to him by Nathan and Haley.

--OR—

**Choice B: **Lucas finds out the truth, completely freaks out and runs, confirming Peyton's fears (Even though he suspected it, the truth got too much for him). He confronts his mom for lying to him, who in turn gives him a lecture on family and responsibilities. Aggravated, he turns towards Haley and Nathan and accuse them of keeping the truth from him. Tired of his attitude, Nathan gives him a piece of his mind and some hard core advice that sends Lucas reeling and face the current situation and finally come to accept it. But trying to win Peyton's trust again after running out so unceremoniously will be a completely different story with lots of drama and shouting involved.

So, I have laid out the two choices out for you, now it's your turn to decide! I won't start writing until I have at least 40 reviews because I need a clear count! So leave your review and tell me what you think. Also, once you're done reading/ reviewing, please go to my profile page and answer the same question on the poll I have opened there! It will so much easier to get the percentages that way!

With that out of the way, hope you liked the chapter and please, leave a **REVIEW!**


	8. Can't handle the pressure

Chapter 8: Can't handle the pressure

_Last chapter:_

"_I don't know what to tell you except to come clean and tell Lucas the truth. He deserves to know P", Brooke encouraged._

"_I know he deserves to know, dammit. I know he deserves to know that Allison is his daughter—"_

"_Allison is my daughter?" said a stunned voice from the corridor, as Peyton felt her words die in her throat. Lucas Scott was standing in the doorway leading to the living room with an astounded look on his face. Oh shit._

_

* * *

_

_And when it rains,  
On this side of town it touches, everything.  
Just say it again and mean it.  
We don't miss a thing.  
You made yourself a bed  
At the bottom of the blackest hole (blackest hole)  
And convinced yourself that  
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore  
_

"Lucas", Peyton whispered horrified, once she had regained her ability to speak.

"Allison is my daughter?" Lucas repeated in a dangerously calm voice, as he took a couple of steps into the living room. Brooke and Peyton could see him clearly now, his face was carefully blank of any emotion, but what scared them the most was the look in his eyes. Hurt, betrayal, anger, fear were just a couple of the many emotions swirling in those baby blues.

"Luke, we can—"

"I am not asking you Brooke. This is between Peyton and me so I would like it if you didn't interrupt", Lucas snapped, his voice betraying emotions for the first time.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that", Peyton said sharply.

"No, he's right P. I am gonna leave you two to figure this out, okay?" Brook asked understandingly.

"But Brooke—"

"Everything will be okay, P. Sawyer", Brooke promised, and giving Peyton's wrist a comforting squeeze she walked out of the room.

"Are you going to answer me anytime soon?" Lucas questioned, after a minute of uncomfortable silence.

"I don't know what to say", Peyton mumbled honestly.

"It's a yes or no question Peyton", Lucas stated bluntly, not feeling any compassion for the blond in front of him.

"Lucas I—"

"Peyton I don't want any excuses, or any long winded explanations. I just need to know if what you said 5 minutes ago is true. Is Allison my daughter? Yes or no?" Lucas asked, desperately aggravated by now.

Peyton knew that she was trapped. There was no way out of this mess. Lucas had heard the statement come out of her mouth, there was no way she could contradict it now. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down her racing heart. Opening them a couple of seconds later, she locked eyes with Lucas and prepared herself for the words that would soon be leaving her mouth. Words that would change her daughter's life either for the worst or the better.

"Yes"

There. She had said it. She had come clean. Now it all depended on Lucas' reaction. Will he accept it? Will he be angry? Will he ask for a paternity test? Or will he just run away?

_And oh, oh, how could you do it?  
Oh I, I never saw it coming.  
Oh, oh, I need the ending.  
So why can't you stay  
Just long enough to explain?_

Lucas stumbled backwards as the full force of Peyton's confession hit him. _Yes._ Allison was his daughter. He was a father. This was so surreal, so unbelievable. Sure he had suspected something, and yes, he had hoped for this moment ever since he first laid eyes of Allison. But the reality was so different. No amount of wishful thinking or over active imagination could have prepared him for this. He should have been ecstatic, after all this was what he had wanted. But for some reason, the only emotion he was feeling was anger. Red, hot anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach. A type of anger that would cause him to say things that he would deeply regret later, but right now he wasn't thinking rationally. The anger had completely taken over his rational side of the brain, and it was completely directed at the blond sitting across him.

"So when were you planning to tell me about her? When she was 18?" Lucas spat out angrily.

Peyton blinked in surprise at the coldness of his voice. She hadn't expected him to be all cheerful and flowery about her keeping something as big as this away from him, but she hadn't expected this anger either.

"Lucas you don't understand—"

"You're damn right. I don't understand. I don't understand how you could keep the fact that I have a daughter from me for three years!" Lucas snarled.

"What do you want me to say?" Peyton asked helplessly.

"Were you ever going to tell me about her Peyton? If I hadn't overheard you and Brooke talking, would you have told me that I was Allison's father?" Lucas asked.

"I was going to tell you Lucas, I just didn't know when", Peyton said softly, her eyes begging for him to understand.

"I don't believe this Peyton. The Peyton I knew would have never kept such a huge thing from me", Lucas said stubbornly, running his hand across his already disheveled hair.

"The Peyton you knew died the day you left her alone in that hotel room in LA", Peyton snapped. If he wasn't going to cooperate, well then neither was she.

"Do not bring our past into this", Lucas warned quietly.

"Why not? Our past is the reason why I never told you about Allison", Peyton said, her voice rising a couple of notches.

"Our past has nothing to do with this", Lucas argued.

_And when it rains,  
Will you always find an escape?  
Just running away,  
From all of the ones who love you,  
From everything.  
You made yourself a bed  
At the bottom of the blackest hole  
And you'll sleep 'til May  
And you'll say that you don't want to see the sun anymore_

"Our past has _everything_ to do with this. You got married to Lindsay one week after we had sex. I found out I was pregnant the night before your farewell party. That's why I wasn't there. I couldn't face you, not after knowing that I was carrying your child. I knew that if I went, I would have ended saying something stupid, and ruin your marriage", Peyton screamed, as she tried to swallow the large lump building in her throat.

"You should have told me Peyton. I would have never left Tree Hill if you had told me. You know I would never abandon my child", Lucas insisted, some of his anger ebbing away.

"That's exactly what I didn't know Lucas. I didn't know if you were going to stay, or if you were going to leave me just like you had so many times before", Peyton said softly as the tears started pouring down her face.

"I would never leave my own child Peyton. I am not Dan", Lucas whispered, stunned at her vulnerability. Had he turned into such a cold bastard that Peyton couldn't tell him about their own daughter?

"Before you left that night, you looked me straight in the eye and told me that what had happened was a mistake. Your exact words were: _This wasn't supposed to happen. Just forget about it. It was a mistake_. Those words literally killed me. I don't know how I survived the next couple of days with your words haunting me wherever I went. When I found out that I was pregnant, I knew I couldn't tell you because to you our child would have been nothing but a consequence of a mistake", Peyton cried, her tiny frame shaking in anguish as she looked directly in Lucas' conflicted eyes.

"This isn't happening. This can't be happening. This is all too much. I need to go", Lucas whispered, and without another word, he nearly bolted out of the room leaving a stunned Peyton behind.

"What happened?" Brooke gasped as she ran in the living room a minute later, right after seeing Lucas bolt out of the front door at top speed.

"I told him and he ran. Are you happy now?" Peyton whispered as she collapsed on the sofa and cried long and hard. But this time, she wasn't crying for herself. This time she was crying for her daughter and what she'll have to face once this comes to light.

_And oh, oh, how could you do it?  
Oh I, I never saw it coming.  
And oh, oh, I need the ending.  
So why can't you stay just long enough to explain?  
You can take your time, take my time._

* * *

**A/N:** Here you go. The newest installment of Too Far Gone.

First of all, let me start by saying how incredibly sorry I am for the late and extremely short update. It was my friend's wedding on Wednesday, and we were all so busy with the whole bridal shower/ bachelorette party ever since Monday. And then it was Thanksgiving yesterday, and today was my friends birthday party. So, tonight was the first chance I had all week to actually write.

So it was actually this or you waiting another two days for me to complete the originally intended chapter. This is Part A of the original chapter 8, and if I get a decent amount of reviews by tomorrow, Part B will be posted tomorrow since I am free for the day!

Second, thank you so, so much for the phenomenal reviews! 77 reviews for last chapter…you guys seriously rock! I appreciated each and every single review I got, so once again thank you so much!

And lastly, from the chapter, you can probably tell that Choice B won. A lot of you voted for choice A, but choice B was the clear winner when I tallied the reviews and the polls. So those of you who wanted choice A, I am really, really sorry and I really hope that you won't ditch the story because of it =]! I know most of you will have many questions on this chapter, but I hope most of them will be answered in the next couple of chapters!

Also, for those of you wondering where Lindsay is, don't worry, she'll be coming back really soon with loads of more drama (Chapter 11)!

Highlight for next chapter: Lucas comes to his senses! Lots of arguing, and good advice from a pissed of brother.....

With that said, hope you liked the chapter, and please **REVIEW!**

**Song: **_When it rains- Paramore _


	9. Where the loyalties lie

Chapter 9: Where the loyalties lie

_Last chapter:_

"_This isn't happening. This can't be happening. This is all too much. I need to go", Lucas whispered, and without another word, he nearly bolted out of the room leaving a stunned Peyton behind._

"_What happened?" Brooke gasped as she ran in the living room a minute later, right after seeing Lucas bolt out of the front door at top speed._

"_I told him and he ran. Are you happy now?" Peyton whispered as she collapsed on the sofa and cried long and hard. But this time, she wasn't crying for herself. This time she was crying for her daughter and what she'll have to face once this comes to light._

_

* * *

  
_

_I'm holding on your rope,  
Got me ten feet off the ground  
I'm hearin what you say but I just can't make a sound  
You tell me that you need me  
Then you go and cut me down, but wait  
You tell me that you're sorry  
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say..._

"Mom, where are you?" Lucas screamed as he slammed the front door shut behind him. He didn't know how he had managed to drive after what just happened less than 10 minutes ago, but the important thing was that despite breaking every traffic rule ever invented, he had made it home in one piece.

"In my room, and can you please lower you voice, Lily is sleeping", Karen replied back in a much lower voice.

Huffing slightly, Lucas quickly made his way to the master bedroom.

"Mom will you please put down that damn book? I need too talk to you", Lucas snapped as he entered his mom's room and found her completely engrossed in a '80s novel.

"What's got you so upset?" Karen asked surprised, looking at Lucas' furious face.

"The fact that everyone's been lying to me for the past 3 years", Lucas spat out angrily.

"What are you talking about?" Karen asked feigning innocence.  
"Don't pretend like you don't know. I can't believe that you would keep something so big from me for all these years", Lucas said, hurt and anger laced in his voice.

"Did Peyton tell you?" Karen asked softly.

"I overheard her and Brooke talking", Lucas replied tiredly.

"Lucas I—"

"And I asked you. I asked you if Allison was my daughter. You said no. You lied to me. You lied to me about the biggest truth of my life. Why the hell would you do that?" Lucas demanded furiously.

"It wasn't my place to tell you Lucas. I had promised Peyton that I wouldn't tell", Karen explained gently.

But Lucas didn't care about trivial things such as loyalties right now. He was sick and tired of all the lies and deception that had been surrounding him ever since he came here. Right now, he didn't care that the woman sitting in front of him was his mom or not, to him she was the woman who had lied to him about the biggest truth of his life.

"So your word to Peyton was more important than you telling me the fact that I am a father?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"Lucas we were all trying to convince Peyton to tell you the truth", Karen tried.

"Oh yeah, that worked out really nicely", Lucas said sarcastically.

"She was scared Lucas", Karen explained patiently.

"She was scared. But what about the rest of you? All of you knew that Allison was my daughter, why didn't anyone say anything?" Lucas asked sharply.

"Because it wasn't our place to tell", Karen replied, starting to get frustrated. "When Allison was born, Peyton made all of us promise that we won't tell you. Peyton and Allison mean a lot to us, and none of us could imagine betraying her like that".

"And what about betraying me? None of you thought for a minute how I would feel once I found out about this?" Lucas asked.

"You were in NY. You married Lindsay knowing that along the way you were crushing Peyton in the worst way possible. Her feelings weren't exactly hidden from you. And then once she had given up any hope for the two of you, you go and sleep with her only to get married to Lindsay a week later. And to top off her misery, she finds out a month later that she is pregnant with a child whose father doesn't want to have anything to do with her. Can you even imagine what Peyton had gone through? Sure what she did was wrong to a certain degree, but what would you have done if you were in her position Lucas?" Karen asked angrily, having had enough of Lucas' attitude. Lucas was her son, but he was seriously pissing her off right now. She had had enough of him taking things for granted. It was about time he's given a reality check.

_It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late_

Lucas blinked at his mother's last question. What would he have done if he had been in Peyton's position? He had spent the past three years pitying himself. He had never thought that Peyton might have been going through the same emotions, if not worse. He had crushed her heart time after time and yet she had always been there for him. He was the one who had gone to her studio that night and practically assaulted her. It was his desire for her that had won in the end. Only Peyton could ignite emotions so strong and at the same time rash in him. He closed his eyes and for the first time since he had come back to Tree Hill, he let himself really think back to that night. That night that had changed everything. That night which was the best and worst of his life. That one night that gave him the best gift of his life.

_I'd take another chance, take a fall  
Take a shot for you  
And I need you like a heart needs a beat  
But it's nothin new  
I loved you with a fire red-  
Now it's turning blue, and you say...  
"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you  
But I'm afraid..._

_--Flashback—_

_Lucas Scott was sitting in his car staring at Peyton's office window like he had done so many times before in the past couple of weeks. But today was different. Today he wanted to do more than just gaze at that window. Today he wanted her, needed her. He wanted her to give him the comfort only she knew how to give._

_Her office lights were still on, and despite it being 10 o' clock at night, it didn't surprise him. He had overheard Brooke telling Haley that Peyton was spending as much time as possible in her office to avoid 'their situation'. _

_Lucas hadn't seen or heard from her ever since that day in the gym when she had told him that she was going to let him go. And despite what he had told himself and everyone else around him, he missed her. He knew this was wrong, his feeling for her were wrong. He was marrying another woman for god's sake. He wasn't supposed to lie awake at night wishing that she was the woman next to her instead of her fiancée. His heart wasn't supposed to start racing at the mere mention of her. He wasn't supposed to feel like his life was over when she told him that she was going to sacrifice her love for him just so he could be happy. _

_He hadn't seen her in so long that he actually starting to crave her presence. Her one look, one smile was enough to keep him smiling for the rest of the day. She had just a strong grip on him, and she didn't even know about it. She was his drug, and he was so addicted to her it was scary at times._

_Without thinking, Lucas got out from the car. Slamming the door behind him, he locked the car and made his way towards the building where her office was located._

_Running up the stairs taking two steps at a time, Lucas found himself in front of her office door in less than 2 minutes, completely out of breath._

_Taking a couple of seconds to compose himself, Lucas raised his hand and quietly knocked the door once._

_He could hear the shuffling of papers and the sound of a chair scraping the floor. Lucas felt his heart beat raise as he heard her footsteps moving towards the door. Any second now they'll be face to face. _

"_Lucas?" Peyton asked surprised as she looked at the man standing on the other side of the door. Of all the people she was expecting, Lucas was the last one on that list._

"_Peyton", Lucas whispered, taking his time to look at her. She was wearing a mid length brown skirt that gave him a good look at her gorgeous, long legs, and a white tank top that showed just the right amount of cleavage. Her hair was up in a messy pony tail and she was wearing casual flip flops on her feet. As his eyes went to her face, he realized just how tired she looked. She had dark circles under her eyes and her eyes were a little red as if she had been crying. But despite all that, she had never looked more beautiful to him. _

"_Why are you here Lucas?" Peyton asked quietly, avoiding his intense gaze._

"_I miss you Peyt", Lucas answered honestly._

"_Don't do this Lucas. I am not strong enough for this", Peyton whispered quietly, her voice breaking a little._

"_Please Peyton", Lucas pleaded, for what he wasn't entirely sure._

"_You should go Lucas. Lindsay won't like you being here", Peyton said stubbornly as she made to close the door. But Lucas wasn't having nay of it. He had just gotten a chance to corner her after weeks, and he wasn't going to let it go that easily. He didn't know why he cared so much, but what he did know was that he needed to talk to her._

"_I don't give a damn what Lindsay thinks", Lucas said as he pushed open the door and walked inside her dim office despite her protest._

"_You can't keep doing this to me Lucas. You made your decision, and I moved out of the way so that you could get your happy ending. All I need from you is that you stick to your choice and please leave me alone", Peyton begged, her eyes shining with unshed tears._

"_Just because I am getting married doesn't mean that we can't be friends Peyton. We used to be friends before we were lovers", Lucas said pleadingly. Why couldn't she see how much he needed her in his life?_

"_We were never just friends Luke. And I can't be your friend. I can't watch you be with some other woman knowing that I could have had all that with you. I can't do it", Peyton said, her vivid green eyes shining with sadness._

"_I had a horrible day today", Lucas said suddenly._

"_Excuse me?" Peyton asked confused. Where had that come from?_

"_I spent the whole day finalizing wedding preparations with Lindsay, and it was horrible", Lucas confessed, not knowing where exactly he was going with this conversation. All he knew was that this was a foolproof way to keep Peyton's attention._

"_Well you are getting married. The preparation just comes with it", Peyton said softly, her heart constricting in pain as she once again realized that she had lost Lucas for good. _

"_Doesn't mean I have to like it", Lucas grumbled playfully. _

"_What are you doing Lucas?" Peyton asked tiredly seeing through his charade._

"_Trying to make conversation", Lucas replied seriously._

"_I don't think this is a good idea", Peyton muttered._

"_Why not? Do you hate me so much that you can't even stand to be in the same room as me?" Lucas asked aggravated._

"_I don't hate you Lucas. I can't hate you. I should hate you for the way you have fucked up my life, but I don't. But I can't be around you either. Not yet. It hurts too much", Peyton said softly, warm tears rolling down her face._

"_Let me stop the hurt then", Lucas said quietly as he took a couple of steps in her direction._

"_I don't think that's possible", Peyton whispered thickly, her eyes still on the floor. Had she looked up, she would have seen Lucas progressing towards her. Had she looked up, she would have stopped him, and then things wouldn't have spiraled out of control. But she didn't look up till it was too late, because by the time she looked up, things were out of her control._

"_You don't know that", Lucas breathed into her hair as Peyton gasped. He was standing right in front of her. There was barely a foot's distance between them and it was doing wonders to Peyton's heart. As her head snapped up at their closeness, she found herself staring in Lucas's intense blue eyes. He was gazing at her face hungrily and she could just feel the lust radiating from him. _

"_What are you doing Lucas?" she breathed out, her heart beating a mile a minute just by the way he was looking at her._

"_I don't know", Lucas answered honestly, just as affected by their closeness. He was so close to her that he just had to lean his head a couple of inches and he would be kissing her. All rational thoughts had left his head, and he was now thinking from his heart rather than his brain. And at this moment, the only thing his heart wanted was the woman standing in front of him. All he wanted right now was Peyton._

"_Are you drunk Lucas?" Peyton asked hesitantly as she took a step backward only to run into the cold brick wall. Damn._

"_Do I sound drunk? Do I smell drunk?" Lucas asked, smirking at her obvious uncomfortableness. _

"_Lucas move", Peyton said, trying to sound strong, but failing miserably as Lucas started to run his finger up and down her naked arms._

_She was completely trapped. Behind her was the hardness of the wall and in front of her was the hardness of Lucas. There was no way out._

"_What were you saying Peyton?" Lucas asked as his finger roamed across her neck._

_Peyton felt as if her skin was on fire as Lucas' finger skimmed through the slightly exposed skin of her back. God, the hold this man had on her was ridiculous._

"_Lucas, we shouldn't—" Peyton started, but was interrupted as Lucas soft lips claimed her own. Peyton felt all coherent thoughts run out of her head as Lucas lips fiercely moved on top of hers. Peyton felt his tongue begging for entrance and happily obliged. _

_Lucas heard Peyton moan and couldn't help but feel elated knowing that only he could incite such feelings from her. When air became an issue, Lucas surfaced from their mind blowing kiss and immediately attacked her neck, leaving open-mouthed kisses all across her naked skin. Stopping at the hollow of her neck, Lucas softly bit down on the soft skin as Peyton moaned loudly from underneath him._

_Peyton felt herself losing in Lucas's hot kisses. She felt desire bubble in the pit of her stomach and knew that if she didn't stop him now, she won't be able to do so later._

_Even though this was what she had wanted for so long, Peyton knew that this was wrong. He was engaged for god's sake. They weren't supposed to be doing this. _

_Gaining a little control of herself, Peyton pushed Lucas off herself who staggered backwards at the sudden movement._

"_What the hell Peyton?" Lucas asked angrily, his eyes clouded with lust._

"_No, what the hell are you doing Lucas?" Peyton asked angrily, trying to regain control of her breathing, "You are engaged! We aren't supposed to be doing this"._

"_For once, let's just think with our heart instead of our brains", Lucas whispered as he attacked her neck once again._

"_This is wrong Lucas", Peyton whispered, moaning softly as Lucas' mouth found her sensitive spot behind her ear._

"_Since when has that stopped us before?" Lucas breathed, and he pushed the left strap on Peyton's tank top down her shoulder, showering her arms with feather light kisses._

_And that was all Peyton needed before her resolve broke. There was only enough torture a woman can take. Pulling him up by his hair, she quickly covered his mouth with her own, groaning as he quickly shoved his tongue in her mouth, taking his time to explore every crevice of her mouth. _

_Her hand moved from his waist and went under the fitted grey shirt he was wearing. Taking the hint, Lucas untangled himself from the kiss and quickly took his shirt off throwing it behind his shoulder. He felt Peyton run her slim fingers down his strong, muscled chest and couldn't help groaning in delight at the feelings her fingers were stirring in him. This was it. The point of no return. They both knew that if they didn't stop now, things would end in a disaster. But in that moment, they were so lost in each other that neither of them could bring themselves to care. _

_Clothes were discarded quickly, and Lucas all but carried Peyton to her desk. With a swipe of his hand, all the papers and books fell from the desk and onto the floor, leaving a clear space for Lucas to set Peyton down. _

"_Do you think this desk is strong enough for the both of us?" Lucas asked huskily._

"_I think so", Peyton breathed out as Lucas' hand roamed all around her body, making it really hard for her to think rationally._

"_I love you Peyton", Lucas whispered a minute later, as he surfaced from another breathtaking kiss._

"_I love you too, Luke. I always have and always will. Nothing will change that", Peyton whispered back looking Lucas right in the eyes, and Lucas could easily see all the love reflecting in her green orbs. _

_Nodding slightly at her words, Lucas took her mouth into another searing kiss as he carefully positioned himself on top of her…_

_½ an hour later, Peyton and Lucas lay panting on the tiny desk. The sex was amazing. Neither had felt so alive as they did in that instance. Peyton felt as if the world had suddenly righted itself, as if her life was finally fulfilled again. She was basking in the after effects of the past 30 minutes when she left Lucas' body moving from on top of her. _

"_Lucas?" Peyton asked groggily._

"_This wasn't supposed to happen. Just forget about it. It was a mistake", Lucas whispered as he quickly put back his clothes, unable to look Peyton in the eye. He knew that this would crush her, but he knew that there was no other way out of this situation either. Chancing a brief look at Peyton's face, his heart broke into a million pieces as he saw the lost and heartbroken look on her face._

_Mumbling an incoherent apology, he walked to the door and without a second glance backwards, he was gone._

_--End Flashback—_

_It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late_

Lucas was snapped out of her reverie as he felt a fist collide with his face and he felt himself fall backwards at the force of the unseen attack.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lucas asked confused, as he looked up to see the furious face of his brother glaring down on him.

"No,what the hell do _you_ think you're doing?" Nathan shot back furiously, his usually calm cobalt eyes glaring daggers at the fallen form of his brother.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas questioned irritated, slowly getting up and rubbing his already bruising face.

"Don't play dumb with me Lucas Scott. Brooke just called me", Nathan spat as Lucas winced at the harsh tone of his brother's voice.

"What's going on Nathan?" Karen asked surprised as he looked between the two brothers.

"Peyton told him the truth and he ran away", Nathan said disgustedly, pointing accusingly at Lucas.

"What?" Karen whispered, staring at her son as if he had grown another head. When Lucas had come barging in her room, she had thought that he had merely overheard Brooke and Peyton's conversation and had left without confronting either of them. She wouldn't have thought in her wildest dream that her son had actually run out after Peyton herself had actually confessed the truth to him.

"What the hell was I supposed to do?" Lucas asked angrily.

"You were supposed to be a man enough to say and listen to her", Nathan answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"It's easy for you to say that. You have no idea how I felt—"

"And what about how Peyton felt? Have you even considered how your actions would have impacted Peyton or your daughter? Do you ever think of anyone other than yourself?" Nathan accused, disgusted at the way her brother had acted.

"I—" Lucas trailed off, not knowing how to answer his brother's accusations.

"I thought so", Nathan replied grimly, "How long are you going to keep hurting her Lucas?"

"I didn't mean to hurt her", Lucas said lamely.

"Oh really? I am pretty sure you thought that running away would save her tons of heartbreak", Nathan said sarcastically. "And the sad thing is that this time it's not only Peyton's heart that's at stake here. It's your daughter's heart too. It's ironic really".

"What's ironic?" Lucas asked distractedly.

"The fact that you have always worked so hard not be like Dan, and with this decision, you have turned every bit like him. You not being here for Allison for the past three years is acceptable because you didn't know about her. But what you're doing right now is unforgivable, because now you know that you're her father. You're nothing but a coward Lucas Scott, a coward that is turning into a man he had always promised not to become. If you run away now, people will be talking about you like they had talked about Dan in the last 20 years. And most importantly, if you run away right now, you're not the person I had expected you to be", Nathan said, and with that he turned on his heels and stalked out of the room leaving a stunned Lucas behind.

_It's too late to apologize, it's too late  
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late  
It's too late to apologize, yeah  
I said it's too late to apologize, yeah-  
I'm holdin on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground..._

_

* * *

  
_

**Song: **_Apologize- One Republic ft. Timbaland_

**A/N:** Wow this chapter came out to be completely different than what I had expected you to be. The flashback was so not part of the original plot, but I thought it would add to the chapter. I absolutely SUCK at writing sex scenes so I don't know how effective the flashback is, but I certainly hope I portrayed the emotions well enough which was my ultimate goal anyways.

I really wasn't intending to update a chapter today, but I got a decent amount of reviews last chapter, so I decided to post this chapter! So I certainly hope you enjoyed the quick update!

Also, thank you so much for your reviews for last chapter! I love each and everyone who took out the time to tell me what they thought about the chapter, even though it was considerably small by my standards.

So just as a further notice, tomorrow is the last day of my thanksgiving break, so if I get enough persuasion (cough cough) you might just find another update tomorrow ;). So keep those wonderful reviews coming and tell me what you thought of this chapter, especially the flashback because I am not sure if it was any good or not!

Highlights for next chapter: Lucas comes to his senses, and tries to make things right with Peyton. This obviously results in much more screaming, tears and loads of drama (I am so excited about the whole argument). Peyton makes a deal with Lucas before he is allowed to see Allison (any thoughts?). And finally, Lindsay comes back at the end of last chapter with a major cliff hanger! So excited yet?!?! I sure am. I am gonna have a great time writing this chapter…so keep those reviews coming!

So now that I am done with my long rambling, I hope you liked the chapter and please, please, **REVIEW.**

**P.S: I hope you liked the scene where Nathan punched Lucas, because I sure loved it. That punch was sooo long over due =]**


	10. Not gonna let you down

Chapter 10: Not gonna let you down

_Last Chapter:_

_You're nothing but a coward Lucas Scott, a coward that is turning into a man he had always promised not to become. If you run away now, people will be talking about you like they had talked about Dan in the last 20 years. And most importantly, if you run away right now, you're not the person I had expected you to be", Nathan said, and with that he turned on his heels and stalked out of the room leaving a stunned Lucas behind._

_

* * *

  
_

_The dawn is breaking  
A light shining through  
You're barely waking  
And I'm tangled up in you  
Yeah..._

The next morning, Brooke, Peyton and Ally were heading towards the kitchen for breakfast when they were interrupted by the shrill sound of the doorbell.

"I'll get it", Peyton said as she turned around and made her way to the door, leaving Ally and Brooke standing in the hallway wondering who'd be calling at 8 in the morning.

Peyton opened the door and opened her mouth to greet the visitor when she felt her words die in her throat as she gaped in surprise at the man standing on the other side.

"Hey", Lucas greeted sheepishly. He was leaning against the door frame and both his hands were securely tucked in his jeans pocket. He was looking around uncomfortably, unable to meet Peyton's piercing gaze.

"Lucas", Allison shouted from the hallway as she slipped her hand out of Brooke's grasp and made to run towards the door.

But she hadn't even taken 2 steps forward when she was stopped by Peyton's shrill voice.

"Stay right where you are Allison!" Peyton screeched halting Allison in her movement. "Brooke make sure she doesn't get away", Peyton warned as she turned around and gave Brooke a pleading look who immediately grasped Allison's small hands in hers.

Once satisfied that Allison was safe in Brooke's grasp, Peyton turned her attention back to the man standing at the door. The man who was the reason she hadn't slept all night. The man who had ran away when she had told him that he had a daughter. The man who had broken her heart way too many times to count.

"What do you want Lucas?" Peyton hissed in a low voice, her eyes shining with contempt and anger.

"I want to talk to you Peyton", Lucas said softly and this time it was his eyes that were begging for her to understand.

"Yeah see that's the thing, I don't want to talk to talk to you. In fact, I don't want to have anything to do with you. So it would be in your best interest if you leave now before I am forced to do something stupid in front of my daughter", Peyton spat as she made to shut the door in his face, but failed miserably as he kept a firm grasp on the door preventing her from closing it.

"Well that's just too bad isn't it? Because I am not going anywhere before you give me a chance to talk to you", Lucas said stubbornly, a small smirk appearing on his lips as he realized that he had won the argument.

"Fine", Peyton relented reluctantly, giving Lucas the most evil glare she could muster. He had trapped her. She knew that he was a stubborn person and that he would stay on her doorstep the whole day if she didn't talk to him. Under usual circumstances, she would have put up a fight and maybe even caused a scene, but she realized that right now wasn't the right time for either of those situations. Her daughter was in the same room and it would be best if she didn't see her mom started getting physical with her dad. In the violent sense, of course.

Turning around, she looked at her daughter with what she hoped to be a convincing smile.

"Ally I need you to go upstairs, please", Peyton said softly.

"Now?" Ally asked with a pout.

"Yes, now. Mommy needs to talk to Lucas so you have to go to your room", Peyton explained gently.

"But I am hungry", Allison complained.

"Aunt Brooke is going to bring your breakfast to your room", Peyton said, a hint of impatience in her voice.

"But Mommy, I don't want to go upstairs", Allison whined.

"Allison Anna Scott, you're going to your room now, and I don't want to hear another word about it!" Peyton said sharply.

Her heart broke as she saw her daughter's eyes fill with tears at her tone, but she knew that she couldn't break now. This whole situation with Lucas had to be dealt with and Allison couldn't be here to witness it. There would be time to apologize later, but right now she had to get her out of the way.

Glaring reproachfully at Peyton with large, tearful blue eyes that reminded her so much of Lucas, Allison turned on her heels and stomped upstairs without glancing back.

"Brooke can you please make a breakfast tray and take it upstairs to Allison's room?" Peyton asked tiredly as she saw her friend nod and make her way to the kitchen.

A couple of minutes later, she came back with a tray laden with a glass of milk and a bowl of cookie crisp cereal. As she made her way to the stairs, she was once again interrupted by Peyton's voice.

"Also, can you try to cheer her up please? And keep it loud in there, turn on the music or something because I am sure this conversation is going to end up in a shouting match and I don't want Allison to hear any of it", Peyton advised as Brooke smiled slightly at the last part of Peyton's sentence. She knew Peyton wasn't kidding when she said that her and Luke's conversation was going to turn into a shouting match. After all, they were both extremely stubborn and passionate people. Fireworks were bound to erupt.

"You got it sister", Brooke said smirking. "And try to keep it PG-13 okay?" She added throwing Peyton a wink behind a shoulder.

"Brooke Davis you better take that comment back", Peyton screeched as she felt her cheeks heat up.

"Just joking P. Sawyer", Brooke shouted back and Peyton could just see the mischievous grin on her friend's face.

_I'm open, your closed  
Where I follow you'll go  
I worry I wont see your face  
Light up again_

Once Peyton heard the resounding thud of Brooke closing Ally's door and the sound of music drifting downstairs, she finally turned towards Lucas who was standing in front of her with a dazed look on his face.

"So you wanted to talk? So talk", Peyton said harshly as she folded her arms around her chest, waiting for Lucas to start speaking.

"Scott?" Lucas whispered slowly as if coming out of a trance.

"What?" Peyton asked confused, her cold demeanor slipping just a bit.

"You called her Allison Anna Scott. You gave her my last name?" Lucas asked softly, as he looked at Peyton with a surprised look on his face.

Peyton internally smacked herself at his words. She had a habit of calling Ally by her full name when she was angry with her, and she hadn't even paid it a second thought when she had said it 10 minutes ago. But saying it in front of Lucas, well that was a whole different territory. After all, she was the one who had told him that Ally's last name was Sawyer. But maybe this was for the better. Peyton decided that it would be in the best interest of both her and Ally if there weren't any more secrets kept from Lucas anymore. However, just because she had decided to come clean to Lucas, didn't mean that she had to be nice to him in the process.

"So what if I did? Going to run again because I gave your daughter your last name?" Peyton asked sarcastically as Lucas once again felt himself drowning in guilt at her words.

"Listen Peyton about last night, I am sorry", Lucas said ashamedly.

"You're sorry?" Peyton asked with a derisive laugh, "I am sure you're sorry, but honestly Lucas, those two words have completely lost their meaning coming out of your mouth".

"I know. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness after what a jackass I have been. I mean I was such an idiot la—"

"You thought you were the idiot? Please, if any one was the idiot, it was me", Peyton said disgustedly.

"You?" Lucas asked confused.

"Yeah me", Peyton confirmed, "I was the idiot who actually let herself believe that maybe this time you won't let me down once I told him the scariest truth of my life. Despite everything that had happened in the past, I actually let myself belief that maybe this time you'll stick around. If not for me, then at least for your daughter. But like always, I was wrong once again. God, I should really start learning from past experiences", Peyton said quietly, all her previous anger gone. The only emotions evident in her voice were hurt and self-disgust.

"Peyton…" Lucas trailed off, not knowing what to say to such a proclamation.

"Why did you do it Lucas? Why did you run? You could've at least let me explain", Peyton whispered softly.

"I was a coward, that's why", Lucas said, repeating Nathan's words from last night, "I don't want you to blame yourself for this Peyton, because this was no one's fault but mine. If I had for once been a man enough to face the consequences of my mistakes, then all this would have never happened", Lucas said critically.

"So that's what Ally is to you? A consequence of a mistake that you have to face?" Peyton asked brokenly, Lucas' last statement breaking her heart in a million pieces.

"No, no", Lucas said quickly, "What gave you that idea?"

"The fact that you just said: _if only I had been a man enough to face the consequences of my mistakes_. That is basically calling you Allison a consequence of the mistake we made three years ago", Peyton said quietly, not unable to meet Lucas' eyes.

"Allison is not a consequence to me, Peyton. She's the best thing that has ever happened to me", Lucas said passionately.

"Yeah, that's why you ran away last night didn't you? And anyways, you didn't have any problem calling that night a mistake three years ago, so what's stopping you from calling Allison a consequence. I mean, she was the result of a mistaken night", Peyton said bitterly.

_Even the best fall down sometime  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out the doubt that fills my mind  
I somehow find  
You and I collide_

"Allison is my daughter, Peyton. And no kid of mine is a mistake no matter how bad the timing might be. I ran away last night because I was scared. I freaked out when you told me that Ally was mine, and there were so many thoughts running in my head, that I just needed an out. It was all too much to take in one night. I mean I had given up all hope that Allison might have been mine and then all of a sudden I find out that she actually is mine--"

"Wait you wanted Ally to be yours?" Peyton asked surprised. She knew that he suspected that Ally might be his, but did he just say that he might have wanted Ally to be his daughter? Or was it just wishful thinking on her part once again?

"I did", Lucas confirmed, and Peyton felt a small smile tug on her face at those two small words. Maybe Lucas did care. Maybe he did want to be a part of Ally's life. But the question was, could she trust him?

"Ever since I saw Allison for the first time, tugging at your skirt on her birthday party, I felt some sort of a connection with her. I couldn't explain it to myself then, but it was like this deep longing so strong that just watching her laugh with Natalie was enough to put a huge ass smile on my face. I mean I love children, but I didn't share a bond like this with anyone else, and I was both freaked and comforted by it at the same time. And then when I picked her up that night of her party, it was as if she was born to be fit in my arms. I felt so close to her that I never wanted to let her go. That same night when Lindsay pointed out that Allison might be mine, I couldn't sleep the whole night. My mind was in a complete emotional roller coaster, but amidst from all the chaos, I knew one thing for sure, that I would give anything for Allison to be mine. So when my mom lied to me the next morning, I felt as if my world was crashing down around me. It was crazy, it was completely mental. I barely knew the girl for 2 hours and yet she had such a strong hold on me that I felt my heart breaking after finding out that she wasn't mine. And then when you did tell me that I was her father, I ran away like the idiot I was. Yes, I was angry that you kept her from me for all these years, but in the end I ended up hating myself more because of the way I had acted", Lucas finished passionately, while Peyton stared at him awestruck. Of all the things she had expected him to say, this speech was probably the last thing in her mind.

_I'm quiet, you know  
You make a first impression  
I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind_

But before she could say anything, she saw a big bruise mark on his jaw that she had somehow missed between her anger and his confession.

"What happened to your face?" She asked caringly, as she suddenly felt the urge to feel the bruised skin of his face under her fingers.

"That is the result of a punch thrown at me by my much wiser younger brother", Lucas said, smiling slightly.

"Nathan punched you?" Peyton asked wide-eyed, "Why?"

"Apparently, Brooke called Nathan the second I ran out of here yesterday and told him what had transpired between us in the living room. And being the awesome friend and god father he is, he came over to my house, threw a punch at my face and gave me some hard core advice that I really needed to set my head straight", Lucas confessed.

"He's an amazing friend and a wonderful godfather", Peyton agreed, smiling at the Nathan's thoughtfulness. He was the one person along with Brooke that Peyton trusted more than herself, because she knew that he would do anything to keep her and Allison happy.

"And an even better puncher. I should recommend him to look into boxing if the whole basketball thing doesn't work out for him", Lucas said jokingly as Peyton laughed out loud, releasing some of the pent up tension in the room.

"So where do we go from here?" Peyton asked softly after a couple of minutes.

"I want to be a part of Ally's life. I want to be proper dad and make up for the past three years. I want to be her father if you'll let me", Lucas said pleadingly.

"Lucas there's nothing more that I would like right now other than you to be a part of Ally's life. This is what she had wished for since she could talk", Peyton said earnestly.

"But…"

"But I can't trust you", Peyton said bluntly, "I don't want to hurt you Lucas, but I don't want to lie to you either. Even though I want you to be a part of Ally's life, I can't trust you around her. I can't trust you to not break her heart like you had done to me so many times before. She's just a little kid, and she can't go through the pain of you entering her life and then leaving whenever you felt like it. It would kill her Lucas".

"Peyton I know that whatever I will say in my defense right now would be futile because I haven't really given you any reasons from past experiences for you to trust me with this. But I will say this, I love Allison. I love her more than anything in the world and I would rather die than cause her any pain. And if that still isn't enough for you, then I am willing to do anything that would gain me your trust. My daughter means too much to me to give this up without a fight", Lucas said sincerely.

"You're willing to do anything to gain my trust?" Peyton asked a couple of minutes later, a plan forming in her head.

"Yes", Lucas said without any hesitation.

"Tell Lindsay", Peyton said quickly before she lost her nerve.

"Tell Lindsay?" Lucas asked confused.

"Yeah, I want you to tell Lindsay that Allison is your daughter", Peyton confirmed.

Lucas felt himself go pale at Peyton's words. Of all the things he was expecting, this was the last one he would have thought of.

"You said you would do anything", Peyton said in a slightly accusatory tone taking Lucas' silence as a bad sign.

"Why?" Lucas asked quietly.

"Because I know that Lindsay would be the last person you would want to tell about this. Not because it would completely freak her out, but because it would bring to light that you slept with me one week before your wedding. I don't want to ruin your marriage, but at the same time I have to protect my daughter's heart", Peyton explained.

"How is me telling Lindsay protecting Allison's heart?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"Lucas Allison is already so attached to you that it's unnerving. Once you tell her that you know that you're her father, the bond between the two of you will just deepen. And then who's to say that when it comes to telling Lindsay the truth about her, you won't get cold feet and run away. Run away from everything you've created with Allison, leaving her completely broken behind", Peyton said.

"Wow, you really don't trust me, do you?" Lucas asked, sighing lightly.

"There's too much at stake Lucas. I can't let you in my daughter's life without knowing that you're there for good", Peyton said firmly.

"Okay", Lucas relented.

"Okay meaning that you'll do?" Peyton asked, surprised at how quickly he had relented. She had expected him to try to talk her out of it or try to persuade her to think of something else, but she hadn't expected him to give in so quickly.

"Yes, I'll do it. But I have a proposition as well", Lucas said a couple of seconds later.

"And that is?" Peyton questioned, quirking her eyebrows slightly.

"You let me tell Allison that I know the truth before I go tell Lindsay about her", Lucas said.

Peyton blinked in surprise at his request. This wasn't how this was supposed to be.

"Lucas, the whole point of this—"

"I know what the whole point of this is Peyton. I know you're doing this so that Allison doesn't get hurt. But I need an incentive too. I need to know that my daughter is waiting for me when I go and tell Lindsay about her. I need to know that I have someone's dream is in my hand, so that it prevents me from backing out at the last minute. And most importantly, I need to know that even if things go horrible, I'll always have someone to come back to", Lucas said pleadingly.

"Okay", Peyton agreed reluctantly after a couple of seconds. There was no way she could deny him after what he had just said. It wouldn't be fair.

"Thank you", Lucas whispered looking at her sincerely, his eyes telling her what his words weren't able to.

"Don't make me regret this Lucas", Peyton whispered softly, silently pleading him not to let her down this time.

"I won't", Lucas promised with so much sincerity in his eyes that Peyton couldn't help but trust him.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Peyton asked quietly as she finally succeeded in moving her eyes away from his intense gaze.

"No, this is something I have to do on my own", Lucas said firmly.

_Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the stars refuse to shine  
Out of the back you fall in time  
I somehow find  
You and I collide_

--

Knocking lightly on Allison's door, Lucas pushed open the door a few inches to see Brooke and Allison jumping on the bed, dancing to the loud music blaring from the speakers near the bedroom window.

"Hem, hem", Lucas cleared his throat loudly in an attempt to get the attention of the oblivious girls.

"Lucas", Brooke mouthed in surprise as she noticed him standing near the door.

Quickly jumping off the bed, she turned the music down and turned to face Lucas, surprise etched on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Brooke asked.

"I need to speak to Allison alone", Lucas said quickly.

"Peyton sent you up here?" Brooke asked suspiciously. Allison was eerily quiet throughout this whole exchange.

"Of course she did", Lucas said in a 'duh' voice.

"Are you sure? Because I better not find her knocked out in the living room, or worse tied up in an old chair in the basement", Brooke said dramatically, her eyes widening as the last thought occurred to her.

"Brooke I am right here, and I am completely healthy and conscious. So would you please come downstairs and give Lucas some time with Allison?" Peyton yelled from downstairs, having heard Brooke's queries through the open door.

"Fine, fine. But I had to check didn't I? And P. Sawyer you might sound healthy, but I am not sure if you're entirely conscious. I mean you just sent Lucas upstairs to talk to Allison. Alone. That action in itself make me question your sanity", Brooke teased, as Lucas grabbed the nearest pillow and chucked it at her.

"You better not give her any ideas Brooke Davis", Lucas threatened playfully.

"Jeez calm down. No need to get all violent, especially with a minor in the room. I'll leave you two alone now", Brooke said, as she quickly threw the pillow back on Allison's bed and made her way out of the room, securely closing the door behind her.

"Hey princess", Lucas said softly as he turned to face Allison was quietly sitting on her bed.

"Hey Lucas", Allison replied unenthusiastically which struck Lucas to be very strange. Ally was such a cheerful and bubbly little girl, that this quietness scared him a little.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked concerned as he made to sit next to her.

"I am fine", Allison replied shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

"No, you're definitely not fine. What happened? Is everything okay?" Lucas asked, turning her around so that she was looking directly at him.

"Is Mommy mad at you?" Allison asked finally, her voice quivering a little.

"Not really", Lucas half-lied. Peyton _was _mad him.

"Then why was she so angry when you came in this morning?" Allison demanded.

"Okay fine, so maybe she was mad at me in the morning. But we talked and she isn't made at me anymore, I hope", Lucas explained.

"I thought so. But why was mommy mad at you?" Allison asked curiously.

"Because I was an idiot", Lucas said sighing for what seemed to be the millionth time that morning.

"Idiot is a bad word", Allison said matter-of-factly.

"Is that so?" Lucas asked, grinning slightly as Allison forcefully nodded her head, "Well than I am sorry".

"You're forgived", Allison assured quickly patting his hand.

_Don't stop here  
I lost my place  
I'm close behind_

"So your mom told me something very interesting last night", Lucas said, changing the subject.

"Really? What did she say?" Allison asked excitedly.

"Do you know who I am, Ally?" Lucas asked softly, his soft eyes roaming around Allison's face.

"You're Lucas", Allison said, looking at Lucas like he was crazy.

"I know I am Lucas, honey. But what am I to you?" Lucas asked, rephrasing his question.

"Um, I don't know", Allison said hesitantly not knowing how to answer his question. She lowered her head, not wanting to meet her dad's questioning eyes.

"Your mom told me the truth Al", Lucas said gently, forcing the little girl to meet his eyes.

When Allison still didn't speak, Lucas continued.

"She told me that I was your dad". Lucas heard Allison gasp and saw her eyes widen at his confession. It was obvious that she was stunned.

"She did?" Allison asked in a small voice, finding it hard to believe that her dad finally knew who she was.

"She did", Lucas confirmed.

"So are you going to run away?" Allison asked quietly.

"Run away?" Lucas asked started, "Honey, why would I run away?"

"Because I heard Mommy telling Aunt Brooke that once you find out that you're my daddy, you'll run away", Allison said tearfully, and Lucas felt his heart break at the uncertainty in his daughter's voice.

"Oh baby, I am not going anywhere", Lucas promised as he pulled Allison in his arms and hugged her tightly to his chest never wanting to let go.

"So you're not going to leave me?" Allison asked, her voice muffled by his shirt.

"Why would I leave the best thing that has ever happened to me?" Lucas asked incredulously, "I love you Princess. I love you so, so much and I am never leaving you again".

"You promise?" Allison asked lifting her head from his chest.

"I promise", Lucas confirmed as he tenderly kissed her forehead.

"Oh I love you too Daddy", Allison whispered, a huge smile spreading on her face and her eyes twinkling with happiness.

But her happiness was nothing compared to the emotions running through Lucas' head as he heard his daughter telling him that she loved him. It was an indescribable feeling, a mix between euphoria, gratitude, and unconditional love he felt for the little girl in his arms.

Just sitting there with her in his arms was making his heart beat faster, his mind going into a blissfully content mode. And he knew right then in that moment that he would never hurt his daughter. He had hurt many people in the past, broken many promises, but the one thing he would never do was make his daughter cry. She was too precious, too important for him to mess this up.

"Hey baby, I have to go now", Lucas whispered a couple of minutes later.

"What? Why?" Allison asked in alarm, her eyes widening in fear at the thought that Lucas might be leaving her.

"I just have to go for a while princess. There is something I promised your mom I would do before I spend more time with you", Lucas said, lifting Allison off his lap and placing her on the bed.

"How long will you be gone for?" Allison asked once Lucas had gotten off the bed.

"Not for long", Lucas promised.

"Why do you have to go?" Allison whined.

"I have to do this to gain your mom's trust honey. Trust me, if I could, I would spend the whole day with you. But this is something I have to do to sort of get in your mom's good books, at least for a while", Lucas explained.

"I guess", Allison said resignedly, not understanding any of his explanation.

"But princess, I want you to know that I love you, okay. I love you very much and I am always going to be here for you. I am never going anywhere ever again", Lucas said sincerely, as he bend down and gave Allison a kiss on both of her cheeks.

"I love you too daddy and I'll wait for you", Allison promised as she got up and gave Lucas one last hug before he turned around and walked away, leaving both of their hearts aching at the loss of contact.

_Well even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out of the doubt that fills your mind  
You finally find you and I collide_

--

15 minutes later, Lucas parked the car in the driveway of his house and quickly made his way to the front door. Unlocking the door using the spare key from under the welcome mat, he walked inside to find his mother sitting in the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee.

"Lucas, where were you?" Karen asked surprised at his sudden entry.

"I had some business to attend to mom", Lucas explained hastily, "Where's Lindsay?"

"In your room, I suppose", Karen replied, slightly confused at the urgency of his tone.

"Thanks", Lucas said, as he all but ran from the kitchen to the direction of his room.

Stopping in front of his bedroom door, Lucas took a deep breath as he prepared himself for what was going to happen next. In the next five minutes, one the biggest secret of his life would be exposed to his wife, which could end his marriage for good. But Lucas knew that there was no way out of it. At this point, his daughter was his priority and if Lindsay didn't understand that, then she wasn't the woman he had known her to be.

He also knew that there couldn't be any beating around the bush once he entered the room. His courage was already wavering and he needed to get this out as soon as he could. Feeling his resolve strengthen, he pushed open the door and walked inside to a semi-dark room.

"Lindsay?" Lucas called out, not finding her anywhere in the bedroom.

"Lucas", Lindsay gasped as she came running out of the bathroom. Long strands of hair were sticking out from her already messy bun and her eyes were wide with horror. But Lucas was so blinded by his own issues, that he didn't notice any of it.

"I need to tell you something", Lucas said quickly.

"I need to tell you something too", Lindsay said breathlessly.

"Allison is my daughter", Lucas blurted out, not hearing a word of what Lindsay had just said.

"I am pregnant".

_Finally find you and I collide  
You finally find you and I collide_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N: **Dun…dun…dun!

I am not going to say much for this chapter, as I am going to let the chapter speak for itself.

I know some of you were expecting this, but I am pretty sure most of you were surprised!

I know that all you might completely hate me for this, but please NO FLAMES! One of the sub categories of this fic is drama, and drama is what you're going to get! So don't go hating on me please, it breaks my heart =] LOL

I know many of you were expecting loud arguments and more Lucas bashing, but I decided that it was time we let Lucas explain things. So I hope that you guys weren't too disappointed by the lack of explosions!

I am going to give you a little hint by saying that I am not going to _this _cruel to all you Leyton/Allison lovers! So any theories on Lindsay's confession???

Your ideas are absolutely adored, so keep them coming!

Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter! I am glad you guys enjoyed the flashback!

So keep those brilliant reviews coming, especially with this cliffie, I am expecting loads and loads of them!

With that said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please, please **REVIEW!**

**Song: **_Collide by Howie Day_


	11. Everything out in the open

Chapter 11: Everything out in the open

_Last Chapter:_

"_Allison is my daughter", Lucas blurted out, not hearing a word of what Lindsay had just said._

"_I am pregnant"._

_

* * *

  
_

_Breathe you out  
Breathe you in  
You keep coming back to tell me  
you're the one who could have been  
and my eyes see it all so clear  
It was long ago and far away but it never disappears  
I try to put it in the past  
Hold on to myself and don't look back_

"You're pregnant", Lucas gasped out, feeling like he was just hit by a ton of bricks. This _cannot_ be happening. Not now.

"Allison is _your _daughter", Lindsay choked out, her eyes widening at Lucas' confession. This _cannot _be happening. Not now.

"Don't evade the question Lindsay. Are you pregnant?" Lucas asked in a panicked tone. This had to be some sort of a sick, sick joke. Just when he had started thinking that maybe his life had reached a stable ground, something had to come up and drag the rug from right under his feet, leaving him completely unbalanced.

"Yes…Maybe…I mean I think so, in face I am definitely sure I just—" Lindsay rambled on as Lucas started to quickly lose his patience.

"What do you mean you think so? You don't know for sure?" Lucas asked, as he felt a little bit of hope rising in him. If Lindsay wasn't sure, then it might not be true right?

"I just took the test when you came in the room", Lindsay explained in a distressed tone, her own dilemma making her forget the Lucas/Allison situation for a little while.

"Well, what did the test say?" Lucas asked hastily.

"I don't know", Lindsay sighed, "You came in a minute after I took the test, and you have to wait for three minutes before the results show up. I was so freaked out and then I heard your voice and I had to tell you—"

"So you were just guessing when you said you were pregnant?" Lucas asked, effectively stopping her incessant rambling.

"Well yea, but I am pretty sure that I am pregnant. I mean I have been throwing up for the past three days and I am like 2 weeks late. The symptoms are all there, the test is just a confirmation method", Lindsay said confidently.

"Lindsay you don't just go saying something like that when you're not sure absolutely sure. Why would you go scaring me like that?" Lucas asked angrily, feeling relief washing over him. Lindsay might not be pregnant. There was still some hope left. But just as that thought occurred to him, he felt himself flooded with guilt. He couldn't believe he was feeling relieved at the thought that Lindsay might not be pregnant. What kind of a person was he? Praying that _his_ wife wasn't pregnant with _his_ child.

"Lucas", Lindsay said shocked at his tone.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to be angry at you. You just caught me off guard", Lucas said in much gentler tone.

"I am going to check the result", Lindsay whispered, hurt and sadness shining in her eyes. Turning around, she made her way to the bathroom leaving a shamefaced Lucas behind.

_I don't wanna dream about  
All the things that never were  
Maybe I can live without  
When I'm out from under  
I don't wanna feel the pain  
What good would it do me now  
I'll get it all figured out  
When I'm out from under_

But no amount of guilt was enough to stop him from wishing that the test was negative. He knew that he wasn't ready to have a kid with Lindsay. He had just found out that he had a daughter, and he would much rather keep it that way for a while. He doesn't think he could handle 2 kids in such a small period of time. But the most important reason was that he didn't _want_ kids with Lindsay. It sounds horrible, but it was true. It wasn't because their marriage was unstable, it had more to do with the fact that having kids with Lindsay didn't _feel_ right. He knew it was wrong to feel this way, especially since he had always been such a kid-person, but that was what it was. He also knew that Lindsay didn't deserve that. She had done nothing except give him her unconditional love, and here he was wishing that she wasn't pregnant with their child. He never felt like this was around Peyton. In fact, Peyton wasn't the only one he had ever imagined himself having kids with. But he wasn't even married to Peyton. Hadn't he chosen Lindsay over Peyton on that fateful day 3 years ago? Hadn't he pledged spending forever with Lindsay? Then why didn't she have his full heart? Why was he so reluctant in establishing a stable relationship with her?

Had he not been so deep in denial, he would have realized that he had given his whole heart away at the mere age of 16, and he had never gotten it back. That was why he could never get too comfortable around anyone but _her. _That was why _she_ was always in his mind, awake or asleep. Had Lucas taken the time to actually think about his life, he would have realized that Peyton was his everything. That he was the only woman who had his heart, the only woman who will always have his heart. But Lucas Scott never took the time to think about his life because he was afraid that once he did, he would realize that he had made a mistake. That because of his stupid pride, he had let the best thing of his life slip right through his fingers. So in a way Nathan was right, he was a coward. But to him, denial was the only way he could live. His life would crumble the second he came out of the walls he had put around himself. He needed the balance and predictability Lindsay kept in his life, and that was why he couldn't bring himself to question their relationship.

Before he could delve deeper into his internal conflict, the bathroom door opened and Lindsay walked outside. Her face was completely blank, and try as he might, Lucas wasn't able to read her. He would just have to wait for him to give him the news.

Lindsay opened her mouth a couple of times to say something but closed it both times not knowing what to say. Lucas was looking at her expectantly, and she could see him getting restless by the second.

She knew he wouldn't be able to remain quiet for much longer. Taking a deep breath, she uttered the word that would either end or start his misery.

"Negative. It's negative. Congratulations, you got what you wanted", Lindsay said bitterly, and she felt tears rise in her eyes.

"Oh", Lucas said stupidly, not knowing what else to say. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel his body relax as relief swept through him. Lindsay wasn't pregnant. It was going to be okay.

_So let me go  
Just let me fly away  
Let me feel the space between us growing deeper  
And much darker every day  
Watch me now and I'll be someone new  
My heart will be unbroken  
It will open up for everyone but you  
Even when I cross the line  
It's like a lie I've told a thousand times_

"I don't believe this. I mean, I thought about but never in a million years would I have believed it to be true", Lindsay muttered after a couple of minutes, speaking as if she was in a trance.

"What?" Lucas asked confused.

"Allison is your daughter. You have a fricking daughter", Lindsay said with a disbelieving laugh, unable to grasp the reality of the situation. Too much was happening at the same time, and it was all too much to take in.

"I do", Lucas confirmed, remembering the real reason why he came to talk to her in the first place. In the anticipation of Lindsay's test result, that issue had left his mind temporarily.

"This is unbelievable. You have a 3 year old daughter, but you—wait Allison is 3 years old! We were married 3 years ago. That means…that means you slept with Peyton while we were together?!?!" Lindsay screeched as the reality dawned on her. Lucas had cheated on her. Infidelity was one thing she had never expected from Lucas. This confession was like a slap on the face for her. She had trusted him to the highest degree and he had broken that trust in the worst way possible. When did her life get so conflicted?

"Lindsay I am so sor—"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry Lucas Scott. I trusted you. I trusted you more than anyone else in the world, and now I found out that you were unfaithful before we even got married. How could you do this to me Lucas?" Lindsay asked tearfully, her whole body shaking with suppressed rage.

"I know there is nothing I can say to justify my actions Lindsay. But you have to know that I am really, really sorry", Lucas said guiltily.

"And you kept this from me for three years. You slept with your ex before we got married and you didn't bother to tell me until now. Tell me Lucas did you sleep with her while we were engaged?" Lindsay asked hysterically. This couldn't be happening to her. This day was turning out to be a nightmare.

"It happened one week before our wedding", Lucas mumbled, bowing his head. He couldn't to stand Lindsay's usually love filled eyes, filled with hurt and betrayal.

"One week before our wedding?" Lindsay asked faintly, "You had an affair one week before our wedding?!? Did I mean so little to you?"

"It wasn't an affair Lindsay, it was just a one time thing. I didn't mean for it to happen, it just did", Lucas explained lamely.

"You didn't mean for it to happen? How can you not mean to have sex? Were you dead drunk or had someone drugged you? Because those are the only two reasons it would have been an accident. Or did that whore just throw herself at you and you couldn't resist her?" Lindsay spat.

"Hey, don't call her that!" Lucas said defensively, feeling his blood boil as he heard Lindsay call Peyton a whore.

"Why not? She slept with you while you were engaged. How does that not make her a whore. Then to top it all, she ended up pregnant, with your kid. How ironic is this. I mean, I have wanted a kid with you forever, and one mistaken night with her ended up with her having your baby. And how do you even know that Allison is your daughter? It could be some twisted plot of Peyton's to get you back", Lindsay said bitterly, her eyes blazing with fury and hatred for Peyton Sawyer.

"Okay first of all, that night wasn't her fault. I was the one who went to her studio. I was the one who threw myself at her. I was the one who overpowered her when she tried to throw me out because I was engaged to you. And I was the one who couldn't stop myself before things got too far. Peyton told me to leave the second I arrived at her door. She wouldn't even let me talk to her because she thought in some twisted way she was disrespecting you and our relationship. Peyton wasn't at fault here. What happened that night wasn't her fault, so I'd rather you get your facts correct before you start calling Peyton names that she doesn't deserve. And second, wasn't it you who came up with the idea that Allison could be mine? I don't know how you can even think that Allison isn't mine when you were the first one to point out how much she looked at me. Anyone can just look at that girl and immediately know that I am her father. And lastly, while Peyton did love me at one time, she hates my guts right now. She doesn't need me anymore, and she definitely isn't desperate enough to pretend to have my kid just to get me back. Peyton is a much better person then you give her credit for, and it's about time you realize that Lindsay", Lucas said angrily. He didn't know where the sudden rage was coming from, but all he knew that he wasn't going to let Lindsay get away calling Peyton a whore and a home wrecker when she had no idea what kind of a person Peyton was.

"I always knew Peyton Sawyer was your weakness, but I never knew that you would make yourself look like a bad guy just to preserve her image", Lindsay whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"I am not lying Lindsay. I know that you want to believe that Peyton threw herself on me, so that you can feel a little better about the situation knowing that it wasn't entirely my fault. But I am not going to let her take the blame for something that was my fault. She tried to stop me, not once but countless times, so I can't let her be the bad guy here. I know you probably hate me right now, and you have the full right to be, but I am done lying to you", Lucas said sincerely.

"Well it's a little too late for that isn't it?" Lindsay said, finding it hard to breathe. Her husband had just told her that he had thrown himself on another woman one week before their wedding. Could he have hurt her any more?

"I know I have hurt you Linds—"

"Hurt me? That's just the icing on the cake. You've done so much than just hurt me Lucas. You have ripped my heart out of my chest, and completely stomped on it. You have broken my trust in the worst way possible. I can't believe anything you have ever told me. I don't know what I have done to deserve this Lucas. All I have ever done is love you and you completely pissed on all of that. Not to mention that you didn't even bother telling me about any of this. You kept this from me for 3 years, and now all of a sudden you have a daughter. What is this, some sort of sick revenge for something I have done?" Lindsay asked brokenly with tears pouring down her face.

"This has nothing to do with you Lindsay. This is not your fault", Lucas said gently, feeling his heart break at the sight of his broken wife before him.

"I wish that was true Lucas, I wish that was true", Lindsay whispered softly.

"Lindsay I—"

"No, don't say anything Lucas. I can't handle this right now. This is like a nightmare that I can't wake up from no matter how hard I try. I am going into the spare bedroom, but please don't try to talk to me just yet. I need to process this, make sense of everything that has happened in the last ½ an hour", Lindsay said quietly, as she turned around and walked out of the door, leaving a guilt stricken Lucas behind.

_I don't wanna dream about  
All the things that never were  
Maybe I can live without  
When I'm out from under  
I don't wanna feel the pain  
What good would it do me now  
I'll get it all figured out  
When I'm out from under_

--

8 hours later

It was 5 in the evening, and Lucas Scott hadn't left his room for the past 8 hours. Once Lindsay had left the room, he had gone out in the balcony and tried to taken in everything that had happened in such a short period of time. From Lindsay's pregnancy scare to his confession, it all came out so fast that it was hard for either of them to fully grasp it.

Right now, he was lying his bed with his eyes closed, thinking about how his life had completely changed ever since he came back to Tree Hill. He was brought out from his reverie when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door.

"Come in", he called out, his voice hoarse from not being put into use for so long.

Expecting his mother or Lily, he tried to come up with a legitimate excuse as to why he had been holed up in his room all day long. So it came to a surprise, that when he opened his eyes, and saw Lindsay's figure entering the room. Was she ready to talk to him already? Had she come in to get something? Or worse, was she here to ask him for a divorce?

"Hey", she greeted softly, her voice cracked from all the crying she had obviously done in the past hours. Her eyes were blood shot, there were tear tracks on her face, and her hair and clothes were an utter mess.

"Hey", he replied just as quietly.

"I have been spent the last 8 hours thinking, and honestly I don't know where we stand anymore", Lindsay said, her grey eyes boring into his blue ones in a way that he could see every emotion reflecting in her grey orbs.

"I don't know what to say Lindsay", Lucas said honestly, "I know I screwed things up, and I will understand if you can't trust me anymore, but you have to know that I am really, really sorry. For everything".

"I know you are sorry Lucas. But sometimes being sorry isn't enough. You have hurt me more than anyone has ever imagined. Not only did you cheat on me, but you kept it a secret for three years. And now all of a sudden I have to deal with the fact that not only were you unfaithful, but that you also have a child as a result of it. All this is torture for me", Lindsay said emotionally.

"Linds—"

"But" Lindsay interrupted lifting her finger, telling Lucas that she wasn't done speaking yet, "I am still willing to give our marriage a second chance. I believe that with time, we can get over these problems. I have worked too hard for the past three years to keep this marriage alive, and I can't just let it die now. Not when I still think that there is hope for us. You always said that I was a person who believed in second chances, and I guess you were right. I want to give our marriage a second chance, try to make amends, do things differently this time around", Lindsay said uncertainly, her eyes begging Lucas to give her some answers.

"Thank you", Lucas whispered after a couple of seconds. He knew it took Lindsay a lot of will power to come up with this conclusion. He knew it would be extremely hard for her to trust him again, but he couldn't help but feel grateful that she had at least decided to give him a second chance. Because right now, he didn't think that he would be able to handle a divorce along with everything else going around in his life.

"This decision is more for me than it is for you. But Lucas, this is your last chance. You mess up this time, and our marriage is over. And that is a promise", Lindsay said seriously, and Lucas knew that she meant it. After all, there was enough a woman could go through before completely breaking down.

"What about Allison?" Lucas asked hesitantly.

"What about her? She is your daughter, there's not much I can say about it", Lindsay said sharply.

"I know that you are having a hard time accepting this Lindsay, but you have to know that I want to be a part of my daughter's life. And I will do it with or without your consent. You know I am not the kind of guy that would ditch his own kid. I am not Dan", Lucas said strongly.

"Right now, I really don't know what kind of a man you are Lucas Scott", Lindsay said sadly, and with that, she got up and walked out of the room, leaving Lucas to his thoughts.

There were many things they still had to discuss, many obstacles they had to over come, but they both knew that tonight was not the night for it. They've had enough drama for one day.

_And part of me still believes  
When you ay you're gonna stick around  
And part of me still believes  
We can find a way to work it out  
But I know that we tried everything we could try  
So let's just say goodbye  
Forever_

--

Later that night, Lucas was tossing and turning in his bed, unable to fall asleep.

Tired of the insomnia, he sat up and turned on the lamp beside his bed. As he ran a tired hand through his disheveled hair, his eyes fell on a piece of paper on his bedside table.

Picking it up, he saw a phone number written on it. And suddenly, he knew exactly what to do.

Picking up his cell phone, he dialed the number from the paper, and waited patiently for the person on the other said to pick up their phone.

"Hey. This is Lucas Scott", Lucas greeted once he heard a voice from the other side.

"I have reconsidered your offer, and I am starting to warm up to it."

"I was wondering if I could meet you in person so we can discuss everything in detail".

"No, I am not in New York anymore. I am in Tree Hill now".

"No, I am here for good"

"One week sounds fine".

"Great. I can't wait to meet you either".

And with that Lucas hung up the phone, feeling that at least one thing had gone right today.

_I don't wanna dream about  
All the things that never were  
Maybe I can live without  
When I'm out from under  
I don't wanna feel the pain  
What good would it do me now  
I'll get it all figured out  
When I'm out from under  
When I'm out from under_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N:** Here you go! The newest chapter of Too Far Gone.

First of all, I would like to thank you all for the fabulous reviews for last chapter. 45 reviews! Wow guys, you seriously rock!

I loved each and every reaction to my little cliffhanger, and I am so glad you liked it. I was really surprised to find out how many of you thought that Lindsay was cheating on Lucas. That thought wasn't any where near my head, because I personally don't see Lindsay as being capable of cheating. I just find that really OOC for her.

Anyways, I am sure most of you will be relieved that it turned out to be just a scare, and to be completely honest, I never had any intention of making Lindsay pregnant. While it would have definitely provided good drama, I would have never been able to get Lucas out of that mess. And there's way too much drama already going on without adding an unwanted pregnancy in the mix.

I know most of you might be upset that Lindsay wanted to give their marriage another chance, but honestly I don't find that surprising at all. I think it's in Lindsay's character to give people second chances. She is just not ready to give up on a marriage that she had worked so hard to build. She needs another chance to prove to herself that all her efforts didn't go in vain.

Hopefully that answered some of the questions you guys might have, but if you are still confused about anything, please don't hesitate to ask because I will be answering reviews for this chapter!

Highlight for next chapter: A chapter completely opposite of this one. A fluff filled, cute chapter revolving a complete day with Leyton/ Allison.

Also, any idea who the mysterious caller at the end of the chapter is? Feedback is LOVED!

So with that said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please **REVIEW!** Because the more I get, the faster I update =]

**Song:** _Out from Under- Britney Spears_


	12. The road to recovery

Chapter 12: The road to recovery

_Last Chapter:_

"_I know that you are having a hard time accepting this Lindsay, but you have to know that I want to be a part of my daughter's life. And I will do it with or without your consent. You know I am not the kind of guy that would ditch his own kid. I am not Dan", Lucas said strongly._

"_Right now, I really don't know what kind of a man you are Lucas Scott", Lindsay said sadly, and with that, she got up and walked out of the room, leaving Lucas to his thoughts._

_There were many things they still had to discuss, many obstacles they had to over come, but they both knew that tonight was not the night for it. They've had enough drama for one day._

_

* * *

  
_

_I don't want a lot for Christmas  
There's just one thing I need  
I don't care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree  
I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true  
All I want for Christmas is You_

"Mommy", Allison said the next afternoon while they were having lunch.

"Yes honey?" Peyton asked softly as she lifted her head to meet Allison's eyes.

"Thank you", Allison muttered quietly.

"For what sweetie?" Peyton questioned surprised at the sudden gratitude.

Ever since Lucas had left yesterday, she and Allison had been in their own separate worlds. The house had been really quiet yesterday, with both Peyton and Allison trying the grasp the reality of what had happened that day. While Allison was excited beyond words, Peyton was extremely nervous. She had given Lucas a sort of an ultimatum. She had given him a last chance to prove himself to her. And while she wanted to believe that he would go through with it, there was also a big part of her living in constant fear that he would run away, that he would chicken out and leave like he had done so many times before. Only one question had been running through her head for the past 24 hours: Will he let her down again?

"For telling Lucas that he was my daddy", Allison said innocently, her eyes shining with so much love and gratitude that it brought tears to Peyton's eyes, and she couldn't help but let out a silent prayer to whoever was listening out there. _Your daughter loves you Lucas. She needs you. Please don't let her down._

"I told you I was going to tell him didn't I? I wasn't going to break my promise to you", Peyton said gently as her eyes raked her daughter's face lovingly.

"Did you tell daddy to do something for you?" Allison asked curiously.

"I did", Peyton said simply.

"But why mommy?" Allison asked pouting.

"It had to be done sweetie. You're too young to understand this right now, but maybe I'll tell you one day when you're old enough", Peyton said softly, but there was a hint of finality in her tone that told Allison that the topic was closed.

"I guess", Allison said sighing a little, "But I hope he comes back soon. I miss him".

But before Peyton could say anything to the heartfelt confession, the doorbell ran interrupting the mother/daughter conversation.

"I'll go and see who it is, you stay here and finish your lunch okay?" Peyton instructed as she got up from the table and made her way out of kitchen and towards the door.

Peyton unlocked the door and opened her mouth to greet the visitor, but her words died in her throat as her eyes found the person standing on the other side of the door.

"Hey", Lucas greeted awkwardly, a little taken aback by Peyton's stunned face.

"Lucas—you're—I mean, hey", Peyton stuttered after a couple of seconds. She had been wishing for this moment from the second he had left yesterday, and now that he finally here, she didn't know what to say.

"Can I come in?" Lucas asked hesitantly when Peyton didn't continue.

"What? Oh, yeah—yeah sure", Peyton said blushing slightly as she moved out of the way to let him in.

"I am sorry. I just a little surprised", Peyton said embarrassedly as she closed the door behind her.

"A little?" Lucas asked playfully, his blue eyes twinkling with laughter and his face tinged light pink from the cold wind outside.

"Okay, maybe a lot", Peyton admitted grinning slightly, "I was just taken aback at your unannounced visit".

"Yeah right", Lucas scoffed, not believing her for a second, "I come here unannounced all the time and you never freak out or freeze like you did when you saw me at the door".

"I just didn't expect you here so soon", Peyton said honestly as her eyes found Lucas's confused ones.

"It's 1 in the afternoon Peyton", Lucas said.

"I am not talking about the time Lucas. I meant that you're here earlier than I expected you to come", Peyton said quietly.

"You mean about yesterday don't you?" Lucas asked catching on, "You're surprised I am here so soon. You didn't think I would be able to do it, did you?"

"I believed you when you said you would do it Lucas. I just thought it would have taken you more than one day", Peyton explained.

"I told her the second I got home yesterday", Lucas confessed.

"Oh", Peyton said stupidly, "What did she say?"

"She was too shocked to say much, I guess. But I am pretty sure she'll be okay with it. It will take some time, but she'll be okay with it", Lucas said confidently, his eyes boring into Peyton's conflicted ones.

"But what if she's not?" Peyton asked softly.

"It doesn't matter. I am not going anywhere. I told her last night that despite what she says, Allison is a part of my life now and I am not leaving her, ever. Unless I die of—"

"Don't say that", Peyton interrupted harshly, her heart constricting in pain as tears sprung in her eyes as she imagined Lucas _dead._

"Didn't know you cared so much", Lucas said softly.

"Of course I care. How can you think that I don't care?" Peyton demanded angrily. How could he not know that she cared?

But instead of being ashamed, Lucas felt a small smile tug on his lips. He felt a tingling feeling in his chest as he heard Peyton's word. She still cared about him, despite what happened between them, she still cared about his wellbeing. It took him a second to realize that that feeling was happiness. Immense happiness and relief at the fact that maybe there was hope that Peyton and him might mend their relationship with time. It will never be the way it was before, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.

Before Lucas could say anything in reply, they were interrupted as Allison walked out of the kitchen and into the hallway where Lucas and Peyton were standing.

"Mommy, I am done eating lunch. Who was at the—DADDY!"

"Hey princess", Lucas said softly as Allison all but launched herself in his waiting arms.

"I don't think I've ever see anyone run so fast", Peyton commented with a smile on her face as she looked at the pure joy on her daughter's face at the feeling on being in her dad's arm.

"You're here", Allison whispered to Lucas, as she ran her small hands across his slightly unshaven face.

"I am here", Lucas confirmed, "And I am not going anywhere ever again".

"Good because I really missed you", Allison said emotionally as Lucas showered her face with small kisses. God it felt good to have his daughter in his arms. A week ago if anyone had told him that he had a daughter, he would have called them crazy. But now feeling his daughter snuggling into his shoulders lightly playing with his hair, he realized that he wouldn't want to have it any other way.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas  
There's just one thing I need  
I don't care about the presents  
Underneath the Christmas tree  
I don't need to hang my stocking  
There upon the fireplace_

_--_

"Um Peyton what are all these lights, baubles, and stockings doing in the pantry?" Lucas asked an hour later as he searched for Allison around the house. He and Allison were playing hide and seek, and it was Allison's turn to hide. Lucas had been looking for her for the past 5 minutes, and he still hadn't found her, which wasn't much of a surprise because she probably knew every nook and corner of the house.

"Those are for decorating the Christmas tree in the living room. Brooke brought all this stuff a couple of days ago, and we hadn't gotten the chance to start on the decorations yet", Peyton explained coming into the kitchen to where Lucas was staring at the pile of Christmas ornaments scattered on the floor of the pantry.

Before Lucas could reply, the sound of excited footsteps were heard as Allison came bounding in the kitchen, her small face alight with excitement.

"Did anyone say Christmas tree and decorations?" The little girl asked in an excited voice.

"How did you hear that?" Peyton asked groaning.

"I have sharp ears", Allison said matter of factly. "So what were you saying about the Christmas tree? Are we decorating it?"

"No honey, we're not decorating it", Peyton said gently.

"But Aunt Brooke brought all the cool stuff to put on the tree, why can't we decorate it right now?" Allison asked with a pout.

"One, we always decorate the tree with Aunt Brooke, and she is working today. And second, decorating the tree will take the whole day and I am really not up for that right now", Peyton said tiredly.

"But Mommy, I want to decorate the tree with daddy this time. Me, you and daddy can spend the day decorating the tree and we will help you clean up too. And we can hang the stockings with Aunt Brooke so she doesn't feel left out either", Allison begged, looking at her mom with imploring eyes.

"I think it's a good idea", Lucas said joining the conversation, "I mean it's been years since I actually decorated a Christmas tree by hand. Lindsay and I usually just buy a small pre-decorated tree since neither of us could find the time to actually decorate a tree. It would be fun, after all isn't Christmas a family holiday?"

"We're hardly what you would call a family", Peyton said.

"Maybe not in the traditional sense, but Peyton this is my first Christmas with Allison, and I want to do the things a normal father would do during this holiday, like decorating the tree", Lucas pleaded.

Peyton looked at the two imploring faces in front of her, and couldn't help but smile at how cute Lucas and Allison looked together.

"Alright fine", Peyton said giving in, feeling a sense of happiness as she saw the way Lucas and Allison's faces split into huge smiles at her words.

"Great"

"Thanks mommy, you're the best".

"Yeah, yeah. But you better hold on to the promise of helping me clean up afterwards, or else…" Peyton threatened playfully.

"Oh don't worry, we will", Lucas said cheerfully as he scooped a bunch of ornaments in his arms and carried them into the living room, Allison closely following behind him.

Shaking her head slightly, Peyton bend down to gather a couple of toys and baubles and made her way to the living room after her "family".

Once everything was place on the carpeted floor of the living room, Lucas lit the fireplace, and turned to look at the large Christmas tree perched right next to the window.

"You never used to be a big fan of Christmas. What happened?" Lucas asked Peyton as she walked in the living room wearing a comfortable green cashmere sweater and black sweats. She had no make up on, but Lucas still thought she looked like the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Allison happened I guess", Peyton said simply, "She was one year old when Brooke and I decided that it was time to bring the holiday spirit in the house. So we went out and brought a Christmas tree slightly smaller than this. We decorated the tree in one night, and the next morning when Allison saw the tree, Lucas you had to see her face. Ever since then, Christmas became her favorite holiday and decorating the tree her favorite activity. She's been waiting for the tree ever since thanksgiving, and ever since we brought it home 3 days ago, she been after us to start the decorations", Peyton explained, a small smile gracing her lips as she remembered Allison's past two Christmases.

"Alright I am ready", Allison announced as she walked in the living room wearing her favorite PJs.

"Great. Let's rock n roll shall we?" Lucas asked grinning as he rolled up his sleeves and got ready to work.

"Yay, let's go", Allison squealed in delight as she went to the pile or ornaments to pick up the first ornament she would hang. It was a sculpture of Rudolph the Reindeer with his big red nose.

"So princess would you like to do the honors?" Lucas asked, as he motioned Allison to come closer to him so she could hang her reindeer.

Allison just nodded eagerly as she made her way to where her father was standing. This was going to be the best Christmas ever; there was no doubt about it.

_Santa Claus won't make me happy  
With a toy on Christmas day  
I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true  
All I want for Christmas is you  
You baby_

--

"So daddy, what is your favorite holiday?" Allison asked an hour later. They were done with hanging the ornaments on the tree were now hanging the brightly colored baubles all over the tree.

"Hmm…I guess I would have to say Christmas", Lucas replied.

"My favorite holiday is Christmas too!" Allison said excitedly, "When you were a little boy, how did you celebrate Christmas?"

"Well, my mom, uncle and I would usually spend Christmas together. My uncle and I used to decorate the Christmas tree together, and when I was a little boy, he used to carry me on his shoulder so I could hang the baubles on the higher branches. And then on Christmas eve, we would have a huge dinner and then we would sit in front of the fireplace and he would tell me Christmas stories. I still remember every story he has ever told me", Lucas said nostalgically as he remembered his childhood. The time in his life when everything used to be so simple and straightforward.

"Didn't you have a daddy?" Allison asked curiously.

"I had a dad, but he was never there. I grew up with my uncle, he was the only dad I ever knew", Lucas said softly.

"What happened to your uncle?" Allison questioned.

"I think that's enough. Allison why don't you go into the store closet and find some lights we can put on the tree", Peyton interrupted appearing in the doorway leading to the living room holding two cups of steaming hot chocolate.

"What about my hot chocolate though?" Allison asked.

"It's on the kitchen counter in your purple sippy cup. Please don't spill it", Peyton said, as Allison walked out the room grumbling about how unfair her mom was.

Once Allison was gone, Peyton turned towards Lucas who was staring out of the window with a haunted look on his face.

"You okay?" Peyton asked quietly as she joined him next to the window. Because of the short winter days, the sun had already gone and it was only 5:00 in the evening.

"I am fine", Lucas said in a detached voice, "She just brought back some painful memories".

"She didn't know Lucas", Peyton sad as she placed a soothing hand on his shoulders.

"I know, and I am not blaming her in any way. She just made me realize how much Keith meant to me. I miss him Peyton", Lucas confessed.

"We all miss him Lucas. We were all there when he died; it was a dark day in all of our lives. And I know that it hurt you the most, but Lucas somewhere up there, Keith is looking down at you. You've come such a long way in the past 6 years, and I know that if Keith was here, he would have been so proud of you. You would have made him proud Lucas", Peyton said seriously, and there was so much sincerity in her voice that it warmed him to the core.

"Somehow I don't feel that way", Lucas admitted, "I feel like I have failed him. That I have been unsuccessful in becoming the man he had wanted me to become".

"Well then why don't you have some hot chocolate? Maybe that will help you lift your mood", Peyton offered, as she handed him the steaming cup.

"Mmmm….just the way I like it. Extra whipped cream and marshmallows. Yum", Lucas grinned as he took a sip of the hot beverage.

"I try", Peyton grinned back, and just like that the mood was back to normal.

"Thanks Peyton", Lucas said after a couple of minutes.

"For what?" Peyton asked looking at him from over her mug.

"For always being there. For always knowing what to say. And for just about everything", Lucas said sincerely.

"I am here whenever you need me, Lucas. You have earned yourself a lot of bonus points today, and I seriously hope that things remain that way", Peyton said honestly.

"So where are we now?" Lucas asked hesitantly.

"We're on the road to recovery", Peyton replied simply, watching from the corner of her eyes as a small smile formed on Lucas' lips at her. _Oh yeah, they were definitely making progress._

_I won't ask for much this Christmas  
I don't even wish for snow  
I'm just gonna keep on waiting  
Underneath the mistletoe  
I won't make a list and send it  
To the North Pole for Saint Nick  
I won't even stay awake to  
Hear those magic reindeers click  
'Cause I just want you here tonight  
Holding on to me so tight_

_--_

Two hours later, we find Lucas, Peyton and Allison in the living room standing in front of the newly decorated tree. It was completely lit and looked absolutely stunning.

"Wow, I think this is the best tree I have decorated in my life", Lucas said smiling.

"It should be, we slaved over it for hours", Peyton said in mock aggravation, but her lips were twitching upwards into a smile.

"It's so much better than the tree Mommy and Aunt Brooke decorates", Allison said seriously as Lucas burst into laughter at the indigent look on Peyton's face.

"Jeez thanks Ally. Wait till your Aunt Brooke hears you said that. You'll never hear the end of it", Peyton forewarned.

"It's okay. I think I can handle it", Allison said confidently.

"You got that last part from Jamie didn't you?" Lucas asked playfully as he picked his little girl in his arms.

"Maybe", Allison said mysteriously, as Lucas and Peyton burst out laughing at their daughter's theatrics.

"Our daughter is something isn't she?" Peyton asked a couple of minutes as the three settled down on the table for dinner.

"She certainly is", Lucas agreed, his heart filling with joy at hearing the words _our daughter_ coming from Peyton.

"Guess what I made for dessert?" Peyton asked turning her attention to Allison who was playing with her vegetables.

"Chocolate chip cookies?" Allison asked eagerly.

"You got it. But I guess I'll have to give them all to Lucas because he's eating his vegetables", Peyton said seriously.

"No, no, no mommy. I am eating my vegetables too. See?" Allison said as she shoved a spoonful of peas and carrots into her mouth.

"Well keep it up and you might just get a couple of cookies", Peyton teased, as he daughter sent the best glare she could muster.

"So Peyton, can you differentiate between a pinch and handful now?" Lucas asked innocently.

"Very funny Lucas. It was just a one time thing, it never happened again", Peyton muttered, blushing lightly as she remember the disastrous cookie incident in her senior year where she had added a handful of salt in the cookie batter instead of a pinch.

"Hey you don't see me complaining do you? I told you that was the best cookies I had ever tasted", Lucas said playfully, and he could have sworn he saw a small smile appeared on Peyton's face at his words.

_All the lights are shining  
So brightly everywhere  
And the sound of children's  
Laughter fills the air  
And everyone is singing  
I hear those sleigh bells ringing  
Santa won't you bring me the one I really need  
Won't you please bring my baby to me...  
_

_--_

"Alright that's her tucked up in bed", Lucas said as he walked into the kitchen later that night. He had just spent the last half an hour preparing Allison for bed, and now after two bedtime stories, she was finally asleep.

"Oh good", Peyton said looking up from the file she was going through, "Thank you for putting her to bed. I really needed to catch up on these files".

"No problem. I love to spend time with her", Lucas said sincerely.

"Lucas you spent the whole day with her", Peyton said laughing.

"If I could spend every waking hour with her, even that won't be enough for me. And I do have 3 years to make up for, don't I?" Lucas asked grinning.

"She loves you Lucas. I just want you to know that I am sorry. For keeping her away from you, for not telling you when you came back, and just for everything else", Peyton said softly, her eyes shining with sincerity.

"It's all forgotten. I've learned that it's better to live in the present and hope for the future, rather than crying over the past", Lucas said offhandedly giving Peyton a comforting smile.

"I'll never take her away from your life again, Lucas. I promise", Peyton whispered, knowing that letting Lucas in Allison's life had probably been the best decision she had made in her life.

"That's all I need to hear Peyton. I know I am a horrible person, especially in the way I have treated you in the past. But you have no idea how much Allison means to me, and I promise you Peyton that I would never do anything to hurt her", Lucas said with so much genuineness evident in his voice, that Peyton couldn't help but trust him.

"I hope so Lucas. I really hope so", Peyton said in a choked voice, looking directly into Lucas' vulnerable eyes. His eyes were shining with unconcealed hope, sincerity, and love, and Peyton was finding it really hard to look away from those mesmerizing baby blues.

"I should better be going now. Like you said I've been here the whole day and mom and Lindsay would be getting worried", Lucas said quietly as he broke eye contact unable to stare in Peyton's eyes any longer. He knew that if he kept looking in those gorgeous green eyes, he would do something that he would regret later.

"Okay", Peyton replied just as softly, feeling her body go cold as Lucas' warm gaze left her face.

Nodding slightly Lucas turned around to leave, but he was interrupted a second later by Peyton's soft voice.

"You're not a horrible person Lucas. Sure you have made mistakes, but you're not the only one. Everyone makes mistakes. You won't be human if you didn't screw things up. And yes, some of those mistakes have ended up hurting me, but you're not the only one at blame for what happened to our relationship. I guess in the end, we just weren't meant to be. I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened because like you said, there is no use living in the past. So no, you're not a horrible person, you're just a normal human being".

_Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas  
This is all I'm asking for  
I just want to see my baby  
Standing right outside my door  
Oh I just want you for my own  
More than you could ever know  
Make my wish come true  
Baby all I want for Christmas is You_

_

* * *

_**A/N: **Crappy, crappy, crappy! I am so not happy with this chapter. I am not sure how well it turned out to be. But I guess there was definitely some progress between Leyton in this chapter (as you can probably tell from the ending).

I felt that it was time we established a common ground between those two, and I am not sure how good I was in portraying that. The one thing that I did like in this chapter is the mini speech Peyton gave in the end. I wrote that paragraph like 10 times (no joke) before I was satisfied with it. So please tell me what you think about it.

Also, since it is the holiday season, I wanted to do a little Christmas decoration themed chapter, because I thought that it would be the one thing in which I could involve the whole family in.

Also, for those of you who don't know where I got the chocolate chip cookie scene from, its _Season 4 Episode 12: Resolve _(I would recommend it for every Leyton fan….its full of must-watch Leyton fluff!)

Also, let me say how sorry I am for the late update. My school life has been so hectic lately, that I have had no time at all. But for all of those who reviewed for last chapter, thank you so, so much! Your reviews completely made my day…I love you all.

I have the next 3 chapter completely thought out for this story, and I would really like to post up all those 3 before I leave for vacation next Friday (I'll be gone for 2 weeks…so no updates during that time period…sorry =[)

I don't know how hectic school's going to be next week, and I really need your reviews as a motivation to keep writing. I know most of you don't like this, but with the way my life has been lately, I need more than just my love for this story, to post chapters each consecutive day. So keep the encouraging reviews coming, they are my strongest motivation to get the next chapter as soon as possible.

Highlight for next chapter- The devil is back for the holiday season. How will Lucas react to him? And most importantly, who is the devil and what role does he play in the lives of our favorite characters?

So keep the thoughts coming, and please, please, tell me what you thought about this chapter because I am very, very apprehensive about the way it came out to be.

With my babbling out of the way, I hope you liked the chapter and please **REVIEW!**

**Song: **_All I want for Christmas is you- Mariah Carey_


	13. A reformed devil

Chapter 13: A reformed devil

_Last Chapter:_

"_You're not a horrible person Lucas. Sure you have made mistakes, but you're not the only one. Everyone makes mistakes. You won't be human if you didn't screw things up. And yes, some of those mistakes have ended up hurting me, but you're not the only one at blame for what happened to our relationship. I guess in the end, we just weren't meant to be. I don't want you to blame yourself for what happened because like you said, there is no use living in the past. So no, you're not a horrible person, you're just a normal human being"._

_

* * *

  
_

_Are you not the slightest bit confused?  
Just the truth  
The speed at which we move blends so well  
It's too soon_

**2 days later**

"Hello, is anyone home?" Lucas called out as he walked into Brooke's house. He had just arrived a minute ago to find the door unlocked and nobody present in sight.

Getting slightly worried, he looked around for a sign of struggle, but everything was in its place. Where was everybody? It's not like they were gone anywhere. After all the front door had been open and secondly, Peyton knew that he came at this time everyday. She would have called him if she had any other plans.

Running his hand through his hair, he made his way into the kitchen. Once again it was completely deserted. Panic rising in his chest, he opened his mouth to call Peyton's name when he heard a yell and laugh from the backyard.

Surprised at the sudden sound, Lucas turned on his heels and made his way to the door that led to the backyard. The yell sounded a lot like Allison's. What was she doing outside in the middle of December? Was she hurt? Did someone kidnap her? Horrific scenarios ran through his head as he all but ran towards the backyard.

Yanking the door open, he closed his eyes for a second as the cold wind slapped his face. Opening them again, his eyes raked the massive backyard for a sign of his daughter, and when he finally spotted her, he nearly had a heart attack. Not because she was in some sort of trouble or anything. No, it was because of the man she was playing around with.

As he took in the scene in front of him, he felt his blood boil and all rational thought left his head as he stalked to where his daughter was playing with _that _man_._

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lucas asked in a dangerously low voice as he stood in front of the man that had taken so much away from him.

Allison stopped running and her face turned into one of pure delight as she saw her father. She was just about to launch herself in his arms when she stopped short at the look on his face. He wasn't even looking at her. His face was contorted with hatred as he looked at the man she was playing with seconds ago.

"Lucas?" The man asked in surprise as he looked at the angry man in front of him. It was obvious from his facial expression that he was surprised to see him.

"I asked what you were doing here Dan", Lucas hissed lowly, his cold eyes boring into Dan's surprised ones.

"I am spending some time with my granddaughter", Dan said simply knowing that it would be best to answer straight forwardly. Especially in the mood he was in right now.

"Your granddaughter?" Lucas spluttered, his eyes widening in horror at the possibility. Sure Dan was his biological father, but he would never consider him to be the grandfather of his kids. That was Keith's place, and there was no way Dan could replace it.

"My granddaughter", Dan confirmed calmly, his gaze unwavering.

"Allison is _not_ your granddaughter", Lucas spat angrily.

"Really? I was under the impression that you were _my_ son. Which would make your daughter _my_ granddaughter", Dan said seriously as his eyes boring into Lucas as if daring him to contradict his statement.

"You're not my father. As far as I am concerned, I have no father", Lucas said harshly.

"Too bad you can't prove that", Dan replied serenely.

"I will not let my daughter around murdering bastards like you", Lucas said severely taking a few steps towards Dan, curling his hands into fists ready to attack.

"What the hell is going on here?" Peyton screeched as she all but ran into the backyard, his face tinged from cold or anger, Lucas could only guess.

"We were just having a little conversation, Peyton", Dan explained, looking away from Lucas for the first time.

"It didn't sound like a little conversation to me", Peyton snapped, turning to face Lucas with an absolute furious look on her face, she continued, "I could hear your screaming all the way in my office in the back of the room. What the hell do you think you were doing cursing in front of your daughter?"

"What the hell were you thinking allowing this man spend time with my daughter?" Lucas countered back.

"_Your_ daughter? Last time I checked, she was my daughter too. And you have no right to tell me who I let Allison associate with or not", Peyton argued.

"Allison can associate with anyone other than this murd—"

"Your daughter is standing two feet away from you. Can you at least try to control your tongue?" Peyton asked harshly.

"I will as soon as he leaves", Lucas spat angrily pointing at Dan.

"This is my house. You don't get to order people around", Peyton shouted. She didn't know why either of them was getting so angry, but there was no turning back now.

"Look why don't we take this inside?" Dan asked hesitantly. The neighbors had started peeking through the fence wondering what all the commotion was about.

"We're not going anywhere", Lucas said pointing between him and Peyton, "You on the other hand are going to walk right out the door and never come back again".

"Did you not hear a word I said?" Peyton asked angrily, "You're not sending anyone anywhere".

"Peyton I think it's best if I leave now and come back later," Dan said hesitantly as he looked between the two fuming individuals standing 5 feet away from each other.

"Best idea you've had all day. But don't even think of coming back again. I don't want your filthy hands anywhere near my daughter," Lucas said angrily as he pointed towards the door.

"You're not going anywhere Dan," Peyton interrupted sharply as Dan started to move towards the door.

"Peyton—"

"Peyton"

"No, you're not going anywhere. Lucas here has to learn that not everything goes the way he wants it to. He has to learn that things aren't the way they were 3 years ago. Everything has changed here Lucas and so has our relationship with Dan. You've got to learn to accept that or we will have problems," Peyton said stubbornly.

"Well then Peyton has to learn that some wounds can't be healed. That some things can never be forgotten. I am not going to have my daughter associate herself with the man who took away all my happiness," Lucas said just as stubbornly.

"I know Lucas. Trust me, I know. But do you seriously think that I would let our daughter hang around with Dan if I didn't completely trust him? Do you think I would let Allison anywhere near him if I thought he was dangerous? He has proved his worth to not just me, but to all of us in the past 3 years. Old wounds are starting to heal now. He's not the same guy he was three years ago. And if your mom can learn to forgive him, then so can you", Peyton said her voice softening with every word. And by the time she was done, her voice was pleading with him to understand.

Lucas blanched as he heard Peyton's last sentence. His mother had forgiven Dan? Where was this world coming to? And most importantly, what the hell had happened in the last three years to make Dan suddenly look like a good guy?

"It's either me or him Peyton. Either he leaves, or I will," Lucas said obstinately, folding his arms on his chest waiting for Peyton's answer.

"The door's open Lucas", Peyton said, "I know that this is hard for you, but if you can't be a man enough to actually listen and try to look at things in a different perspective, then you should leave".

"You're telling me to leave?" Lucas asked stunned, looking at Peyton as if she had grown another head.

"I am", Peyton replied calmly, "You are welcome to come back as soon as you're ready to actually listen and have stopped being such an ass".

"Unbelievable. This is unbelievable. You're unbelievable," Lucas muttered with contempt and with one last glare towards Dan, he turned on his heels and walked away towards the house and out of sight.

"I think I should leave too", Dan said awkwardly.

Peyton didn't have a chance to reply, because at that moment Allison chose to come out of her frozen state, her face stunned at what had happened in the past 20 minutes or so. And before Dan or Peyton had a chance to say anything, she ran past by them and into the house slamming the door loudly behind her.

Peyton sighed loudly wondering how in the world she was going to get out of this mess.

_Separate yourself from what compels you to relinquish us  
Push your way on to me, entirely  
Stay away from me, stay away from me now  
Less you gonna see, less you gonna see me out_

--

Peyton walked back into the house 10 minutes later to come face-to-face with a very concerned Brooke.

"P. Sawyer! What happened? I walked in the house to see a fuming Lucas brush past me and leaving without saying so much as a word. Then Allison comes running in crying, and if that isn't worrying enough, a minute later a very distressed Dan walks in and leaves without even acknowledging my presence, and I was standing right in his way. Is everything okay?"

"Oh Brooke, everything is a disaster", Peyton moaned as she took a seat next to her friend who handed her a cup of steaming coffee in an attempt to calm her down.

"What happened?" Brooke asked again.

"Where's Allison?" Peyton asked ignoring Brooke's question for a while.

"She ran into her room. I thought it would be best to give her some time to calm down before either of us try to talk to her", Brooke explained soothingly.

"Lucas walked into Dan and Allison playing together in the backyard and things got out of control after that", Peyton said answering Brooke's initial question.

"What did he do?" Brooke asked in a hushed voice.

"He absolutely flipped. When I walked in the war zone, Lucas had just called Dan a murdering bastard right in front of Allison. And then he told me that he didn't want Allison to spend time with Dan and the argument just got out of hand. In the end he told me that either Dan leaves or he leaves. I tried to tell him that Dan had changed, but would he listen? Of course not," Peyton ranted as Brooke tried to take everything in.

"So you told _him_ to leave?" Brooke asked in awe as she put two and two together.

"I did. I also told him to come back when he's ready to stop being such an ass and actually listen", Peyton said in a distressed tone. She couldn't believe how her day had completely changed in a matter of ½ an hour.

"Wow Peyton. I didn't know you had it in you", Brooke said in a appreciative voice, letting out a low chuckle.

"Not funny Brooke. I might just have driven away the father of my daughter away for good. You know how long he can hold a grudge for. And my daughter will hate me forever for it. I have just screwed up royally," Peyton moaned pathetically.

"Now you're just being ridiculous", Brooke chastised lightly, "Lucas is just angry right now, but in no form what so ever does that mean that you have driven him away. Lucas told you that he's not going anywhere, and it's about time you start trusting him on that promise. And as for Allison hating you, you know that's all BS. You daughter adores you, and she is a little ticked off right now, but we will give her some space and then try to explain the situation to her. Or maybe Lucas would have stopped being an ass by then and he would do the explaining".

"I knew there was a reason you were my best friend B. Davis. You always know what to say", Peyton said appreciatively as she pulled her friend into a side hug, placing her head on her shoulder.

"That's what bffs are for", Brooke said grinning as she returned the hug with equal fervor.

_No, I can't dance less it's slow or sad  
To a song that's far less obvious  
You using me, do it slowly  
Make it last until I have to go_

--

"MOM! MOM! WHERE ARE YOU?" Lucas screamed as he walked into his house 10 minutes later.

"In the kitchen", Karen shouted back, as Lucas quickly made his way to the said destination.

"What's all the screaming about?" Karen asked as Lucas stormed into the kitchen with a furious look in his eyes.

"Dan," Lucas spat out the name as if it was cursed.

"What about him?" Karen asked hesitantly as she gave her son her full attention. Apparently something was very wrong.

"You've forgiven him for what he did?" Lucas asked unbelievingly.

"In a manner of speaking, yes I have", Karen replied calmly.

"Are you suffering from amnesia or something? Have you forgotten what he did? Have you forgotten that he was the one that killed Keith, your fiancé? Or that it was because of him that both you and Lily died? How can you forgive him after all he had done?" Lucas asked horrified.

"I have my reasons Lucas", Karen said patiently.

"What reason? What reason could be strong enough to make you think that Dan has changed? A leopard never changes its spots mom", Lucas said disgustedly.

"You've been gone for 3 years Lucas. A lot has happened between now and then. Many things are different. And while I know this is hard for you to accept, I want to tell you that it took a lot from Dan to get into our good books again. It didn't just happen. It took a long time, and now it has come to the stage that we are finally getting around to trust him again," Karen said calmly.

"That's what Peyton said too. I know three years is a long time, but I don't think that even forever is long enough for me to accept Dan again", Lucas said bitterly.

"Lucas I—"

"What did he do?" Lucas interrupted, "What façade does he have on this time? I know that he was your high school sweet heart and all, but I thought that Keith meant a little more to you". The second the words left Lucas' mouth, he wished he could take them back.

Karen looked as if she had been slapped at Lucas' words.

"Mom, I didn't mean to—"

"Didn't mean to what Lucas? Imply that just because I used to love Dan at one point I would jump at him the first opportunity I got? That I would stoop low enough to disgrace Keith's memory in such a way? You want to know what Dan did to gain my trust again? Fine I'll tell you. One year ago, Lily and her friends went to beach, and instead of just sticking to the shore, they decided to go into the deep waters. They dared each other to see who would get the farthest, and you know Lily. She never backs from a dare. When her friends started returning back to the shore because the water was getting too deep, Lily stubbornly kept on moving forward", Karen stopped to regain her composure as Lucas looked at her with wide, horrified eyes. This was the first time he had heard of this.

"Soon enough the water became too deep for her, but she still didn't turn back. And then all of a sudden she lost her balance and fell face forward in the water. Since the water was too deep, she couldn't come up. Her friends were at the shore for 5 minutes before they realized that Lily had vanished. Panicking, they started shouting for help, but as luck would have it, there was no life guard and no other adult around. And miraculously, Dan came running out of nowhere. He said he was on his morning walk when he heard girls screaming and decided to investigate. As soon as he found what had happened, he jumped into the water without a second's hesitation and he was gone. When I arrived at the scene 5 minutes later, there was no sign of Lily or Dan. I felt as if my world was ending, I almost started hyperventilating when I saw a a figure emerging from the water carrying an unconscious Lily. My eyes nearly popped out of my head when that it was Dan. I had already called 911, and by the time Dan made it to shore the ambulance had already arrived. Anyways, as soon as Dan's feet hit the shore, he gently laid Lily on the sand before passing out a second later. I found out in the hospital that Dan had just had his heart transplant a month earlier, and that by jumping after Lily, he had put his life into mortal danger. When Lily woke up a couple of hours later, she was okay, the doctors said that since she was rescued so quickly, there weren't going to be any long term effects. Dan on the other hand, was in coma for one week. By day 5 the doctors had given up hope for him, so it came as a bug surprise to everyone when he woke up ½ an hour before he was supposed to be taken off life support. And you know what he asked the second he woke up? He asked about Lily. Asked if she was okay, asked if I was okay. And that's when I knew that Dan was really trying. Trying to make up for his mistakes, trying to become a better guy. That was the day I decided to give him the benefit of doubt. Did it mean I immediately let him into our lives? No, of course not. But it was the beginning. And we have come a long way from there. So while some wounds can never heal completely, it's sometimes better to leave them in the past, and try to start afresh. He took Keith's life, but he also saved my daughter's life by putting his life at stake. And while it doesn't make up for what he did, it was definitely progress," Karen finished softly.

"How come I never knew about this?" Lucas asked hoarsely a couple of minutes later.

"We didn't want to worry you. Once Lily was in stable condition, it seemed foolish to get you all worked up about it, so we decided not to tell you", Karen explained.

"This is so surreal", Lucas whispered softly, his head pounding with all the information he had retained in the last hour or so.

"I know this is hard for you Lucas. And I am not asking you to accept Dan in your life just like that, but you have to get used to him being around. He is a part of our lives whether you like it or not, and you will have to deal with it", Karen said gently.

"Does Lily know that Dan killed Keith?" Lucas asked suddenly.

"Yes. On Lily's 6th birthday, Dan sent me a letter telling me to tell Lily that truth about Keith and what happened to him", Karen confessed. This was something she hadn't told anyone. Whenever anyone asked why she told Lily about Keith's murder, she told them that it was because the time seemed right. Lucas was the first person she had told the truth to.

"Dan told you to tell Lily that he murdered her father?" Lucas asked incredulously.

"Yes", Karen confirmed.

"How did Lily react?" Lucas asked curiously.

"She freaked. She pledged to hate Dan forever when she found out about it. But after the beach incident, everything changed", Karen said seriously.

"Did she forgive him too?" Lucas asked skeptically.

"Not immediately. It took a while, but in the end she did. When she found out what had happened, she wanted to thank him. But since he was in coma we had to delay the meeting for a week. I think that's when Lily realized how serious Dan's condition really was. After Dan woke up, Lily insisted on meeting him, and I guess after a couple of meetings she saw something good in him, and they struck a friendship. And now here we are one year later and Dan plays a big part in Lily's life", Karen informed him.

"So Lily's accident bought Dan back into everyone's life?" Lucas asked, trying to straighten everything out.

"I believe so", Karen agreed.

"And the world is conspiring against me", Lucas muttered as he got up from his chair and left the kitchen. Karen didn't try to stop him, and soon enough a couple of seconds later, she heard the front door close loudly indicating that Lucas had left once again.

_Trust me when I say just a few more weeks  
Don't move  
Resist temptation  
Or do you see fit, just choose_

--

_8:00 p.m. that night_

Lucas stood in front of Brooke and Peyton's house trying to gather his thoughts before he rung the bell. He had spent the entire day on the river court trying to clear his head and make sense of all the information he had found out that day.

After a whole day of uninterrupted solitude, Lucas had come to the conclusion that the first people he needed to set things right with were Peyton and Allison. He knew that he had hurt Allison when he had completely disregarded her earlier, and he wanted to make amends immediately.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas rung the door bell before he lost his nerve. He had been standing outside for the past 15 minutes, and honestly he was starting to get cold.

He heard the shuffling of footsteps and sure enough he found himself face to face with Brooke a couple of seconds later.

"Luke," Brooke said surprised. It was obvious that she was not expecting him.

"Are Peyton and Allison home?" Lucas asked quickly.

"Yeah, they are. Come on in," Brooke said, as she moved out of the way to let Lucas in.

"Stay here and I'll call Peyton", Brooke said as she made her way upstairs where Lucas presumed Peyton was tucking Allison in bed.

A couple of minutes, Lucas heard movement from behind him and turned around to see Peyton coming down the stairs.

"Hey", Lucas greeted once she was in front of him.

"Hey," Peyton replied awkwardly.

"I am sorry," they both blurted at the same time.

"Whatever are you sorry for?" Lucas asked surprised.

"I overreacted earlier. I shouldn't have said half of what I said. I honestly didn't know where all that rage was coming from. But yea, I am sorry", Peyton finished lamely.

"It's not your fault Peyton. I was a dick in the morning. I completely flew of the handle. I mean yea, I hate Dan, but I was out of line", Lucas confessed.

"I forgive you, if you forgive me", Peyton said softly, her eyes shining with warmth and compassion, all her previous anger lost.

"You're forgiven then", Lucas said grinning slightly, feeling some of the tension lift away from his shoulders.

"But Lucas, Dan is a part of Allison's life, and he is not going to go away just because you hate him. Allison really loves Dan, and I am not taking him away from her life", Peyton said seriously.

"I am not asking you to", Lucas replied much to Peyton's surprise, "I had a long chat with my mom and she told me about the beach incident, and I can sort of see why you guys have accepted Dan again. And yea, I am not okay with it, but I am going to deal with it like an adult. It doesn't mean that I hate him any less, it just means that I'll try to get used to having him around."

"That's all I am asking for Lucas," Peyton said gratefully. She had never thought that Lucas would give in so easily.

"But we have to make a deal," Lucas continued.

"What is it?" Peyton asked curiously.

"I don't want to see Dan with Allison. He can spend time with her when I am not around, but I don't want to see him with my daughter in front of my eyes. As long as the situation seems non-existing to me, I am okay with it," Lucas proposed.

"Deal", Peyton said, holding out her hand for Lucas to shake.

"Great," Lucas smiled, grasping her hand, both of them ignoring the jolt that ran through their bodies as their skins touched.

Letting go of his hand Peyton said, "Now if I were you, I would go upstairs and talk to Allison. She has been really upset since morning and I think you're the one person she would love to see right now".

"I'm already on it," Lucas said winking as he all but sprinted up the stairs and into Allison's room.

_Separate yourself from what compels you to relinquish us  
Push your way on to me, entirely  
Stay away from me, stay away from me now  
Less you gonna see, less you gonna see me out_

--

Knocking lightly on the door, he lightly opened it to see Allison curled up on her bed and Brooke made desperate attempts to talk to her.

"Luke," Brooke gasped, breathing a sigh of relief as she saw him leaning against the doorway.

"Hey Brooke, would you mind giving me some alone time with my daughter?" Lucas asked.

"Of course," Brooke said as she quickly got up and made her way to the door. As she passed by him, she gave his hand a little squeeze and whispered _good luck_ before walking outside, closing the door behind her.

Lucas walked to Allison's bed and got inside the comforter so that his body was touching hers.

"Hey princess", Lucas said hesitantly as he tried to take one of her hands in her own.

No answer.

"I know you're mad at me", Lucas continued.

No response once again.

"I am sorry", Lucas tried again.

She still didn't say anything but this time allowed Lucas to grasp her hand in his.

"I love you", Lucas whispered, knowing that if there was anything that would crack her, it would be this. And he was right.

"I love you too", Allison mumbled feeling her resolve weaken.

"I'm sorry baby", Lucas said sincerely.

This time Allison turned around to face Lucas, her little face looking at him calculatingly.

"I am still mad at you", Allison huffed after a couple of minutes.

"What can I do to make it up to you?" Lucas asked gently.

"Why didn't you talk to me this morning? And why were you screaming at Grandpa Dan?" Allison demanded.

"Okay I am going to tell you something okay?" Lucas asked as he saw Allison nod, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"I don't like Grandpa Dan—"

"What? Why? He's really nice", Allison argued.

"He took something away from me. Something I loved very much, and I don't think I can forgive him for that. So when I saw you playing with him, I just got so angry that I forgot about everything", Lucas tried to explain.

"What did he take away from you?" Allison asked innocently.

"I'll tell you when you're old enough. You won't understand it right now", Lucas said as Allison pouted.

"I don't know why people keep saying I am not old enough. I am three years old", Allison said as she held up 3 fingers as if to prove her point.

"Three still isn't old enough. When you're my age, you'll know everything," Lucas promised.

"But you're so old", Allison whined, and now it was Lucas' turn to pout.

"Hey, I am not that old", Lucas defended himself as Allison giggled in his chest.

"Yes you are silly. You're older than Uncle Nathan, mommy and Aunt Brooke. That makes you really old", Allison explained.

"Really? If I really was that old, do you think I would be able to do this?" Lucas asked as he mercilessly started tickling the little girl next to him.

"Daaaaddddyyyyy stttttttooopppppp", Allison screeched trying to stop laughing.

"Say that I am not old", Lucas said grinning.

"Fiinnneeee. You're not old", Allison gasped as Lucas finally released her.

"That was not funny", Allison reprimanded as she tried to catch her breath.

"On the contrary little one. It was a lot of fun", Lucas argued.

"Oh daddy, I love you", Allison mumbled as she was suddenly enveloped by drowsiness.

"I love you too princess", Lucas whispered as he kissed Allison on her forehead.

As Allison started to doze off to sleep, Lucas took the time to really look at his daughter. Her curly hair were tied into a french braid, a few tendrils framing her face and her face was still flushed from their tickle match. As he looked at her sleeping peacefully in his arms, he wondered how he had gotten so lucky.

There was no way he was leaving her ever again, and if that meant dealing with Dan being around then so be it. He wasn't going to let his hatred for Dan come in the way of his love for his daughter. There was simply no comparison.

_No, I can't dance less it's slow or sad  
To a song that's far less obvious  
You using me, do it slowly  
Make it last until I have to go  
Stay away from, stay away from, stay away from me_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N:** Chapter 13…Unlucky 13! LOL...I certainly hope that wasn't the case.

First of all let me start by saying thank you. Last chapter was extremely significant for me for 2 reasons: 1) I reached 500 reviews (for 12 chapter)! WOW you guys are seriously amazing….I love you all so much. Each and every one of those 500 reviews meant the world to me, and 2) I got 100 story alerts! Once again, you guys absolutely rock.

So that's 500 for 12 chapters, can I hope for 1000 by 24 chapters?!?! Pretty please, with cherry on top =] LOL!

Second, I hope you liked this chapter, I don't have time to explain much in the author's note cuz its getting pretty late and I need to sleep. So if you have any confusion (about Dan's character or anything like that) please don't hesitate to ask as I am going to be answering reviews this time. For those of you who are not liking this new Dan, let me tell you that he will be a major asset in getting LP together, in fact it will be Dan that would open Lucas' eyes and bring him out of his denial…..so liking him a little now?

Also, I hope Karen wasn't too OOC, but once again if there is any confusion please don't hesitate to ask.

Highlights for next chapter: An engagement, a wedding is going to be taking place in Tree Hill very soon (any ideas?), and our favorite movie producer comes to town. And to spice things up, a major secret of Julian/Peyton's relationship is revealed (anyone care to guess as what the _scandalous _secret might be? lol) So all in all a very fun/drama/info filled chapter awaiting you next (and good news: I have it completely planned out, so hopefully the next update would be soon!!)

**IMPORTANT:**

Here's another poll for you loyal readers.

Chapter 15 will either be a Christmas or New Year's eve chapter.

Now in the Christmas chapter it will be more about family dinner, humor, and light stuff like that.

But the New Year's chapter is a little more dramatic. Have anyone of you heard of the tradition that you have to kiss the person you're with when the clock strikes 12 on New Year's eve! I think that should be a hint enough as to what might happen with that chapter.

So its Christmas dinner vs. New Year's eve.

So tell me what you want….so I can start planning the chapter!!

With that said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please **REVIEW **(Can I get for 40 for this one cuz it took me a lot of time and effort to write? It's not how many reviews I am looking for before updating….it's just a humble writer asking for your opinion =])

**Song: **_Stay Away- The Honorary Title_


	14. Wedding Bells & Hidden secrets

Chapter 14: Wedding Bells & Hidden secrets

_Last Chapter:_

_As Allison started to doze off to sleep, Lucas took the time to really look at his daughter. Her curly hair were tied into a french braid, a few tendrils framing her face and her face was still flushed from their tickle match. As he looked at her sleeping peacefully in his arms, he wondered how he had gotten so lucky._

_There was no way he was leaving her ever again, and if that meant dealing with Dan being around then so be it. He wasn't going to let his hatred for Dan come in the way of his love for his daughter. There was simply no comparison._

_

* * *

  
_

_When you feel your heart's guarded_

_And you see the break started_

_When the clouds have all departed_

_You'll be right here with me_

"Look who's actually home this morning," Lindsay said sarcastically as she woke up to find Lucas coming out of the bathroom.

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked confused as he towel dried his hair.

"Oh nothing. Just the fact that you haven't been home in a whole week," Lindsay said bitterly.

"What? I've been home everyday," Lucas said looking at Lindsay as if she was crazy.

"Really? Because I really don't remember seeing you for the past week. Oh wait. That's because you leave before I wake up every morning and come back after I have already gone to bed," Lindsay spat, glaring daggers at Lucas.

"You're overreacting Lindsay," Lucas said evenly as he pulled on a white shirt.

"I am overreacting? I am overreacting Luke?!? You're the one who has been ignoring me for the past week. You're the one who's never there anymore," Lindsay screamed, her already messy hair falling all over her face.

"I have not been ignoring you Lindsay?" Lucas said lamely.

"I haven't seen you for the past seven days. I wake up and go to sleep in an empty bed. You're spending time with everyone but me. I understood that you wanted some time with your friends and family, but this is getting way too much. You've become a completely different person ever since we came here," Lindsay said tearfully.

"I have had a lot going on Lindsay," Lucas said truthfully.

"Then talk to me about it dammit. Tell me what's going on. Why are you so intent on cutting me out of your life?" Lindsay demanded.

"I am sorry," Lucas said after a while.

"No. No, you're not sorry. These three words have been used so much that they have lost all their meaning. Why don't you try _showing_ me that you're sorry instead of saying it like an overused mantra. I am sick and tired of all your excuses. It's bad enough that your entire family and all your friends ar ignoring me like a plague, and now you're one of them too. I am your wife Lucas, and I've had enough," Lindsay said in a deathly calm voice.

"I know I have been a jackass Lindsay. But I honestly have so much going on with Allison and all that everything else have just taken a backseat," Lucas confessed, but one look on Lindsay's livid face told him that this was the wrong thing to say.

"So you're calling me the backseat in your life?" Lindsay shrieked.

"No, Lindsay I didn't--"

"Don't even bother Lucas. This is unbelievable. And don't even get me started on Allison. Ever since that girl had come in your life, you've been in a completely different world. I am trying to be patient and accept her in your life, but honestly Lucas I don't think I can handle this much longer," Lindsay said seriously.

"What do you mean?" Lucas demanded, his mouth going dry. Is Lindsay going to make him choose between her and Allison?

"I mean that you have to find a balance, because I am not about to take a backseat to a child you created while cheating on me. I know Allison means a lot to you, but this has gone too far," Lindsay said evenly her piercing silver eyes glaring into Lucas' baby blue ones.

"Are you making me choose between you and her?" Lucas choked out.

"Not yet. But if things keep going this way, we will have problems. I am not going to continue living like this anymore. It's time you realize what your priorities are and how you're going to handle them, because I am done being the quiet, submissive wife," Lindsay finished, her every syllable laced with determination.

"Skillz texted me earlier," Lucas spoke after a couple of minutes of tense silence, "He wants me to meet him and Bevin at Tric later tonight. I want you to come with me".

"What is this about Lucas?" Lindsay asked suspiciously.

"This is me _showing_ you that I am sorry, and that I can balance both you and Allison in my life," Lucas said simply as he left the room, leaving a surprised but pleased Lindsay behind.

_Darkchild_

_We back_

_You'll be right here with me_

_Oh-oh_

_You'll be right here with me_

--

Brooke and Peyton walked into Tric at 8 p.m that night and immediately spotted Nathan and Haley standing next to the bar.

"Hey guys," Brooke and Peyton greeted as they slipped in the barstools next to where Nathan and Haley were sitting.

"Hey. What are you guys doing here?" Nathan asked as he looked in surprise at the new arrivals.

"Skillz texted us earlier to meet him here at 8:30. What about you?" Brooke asked.

"Same," Nathan replied.

"I wonder what he wants?"

"Do you think he invited Lucas too?"

Haley and Peyton questioned at the same time.

"No idea," Nathan answered to both questions, "I talked to Lucas earlier today, but he didn't mention anything about coming here so I didn't bring it up either."

"Oh well you won't have to keep wondering any longer. Mr. Broody face just walked into the bar, and damn he bought man face along too," Brooke groaned as she pointed to Tric's entrance to see Lucas and Lindsay walking inside.

"Mr. Broody face?" Nathan asked with a smirk.

"Man face?" Haley asked, half appalled and half amused.

"What?" Brooke asked innocently.

"Some things never change," Peyton said smiling slightly as Brooke enveloped her in a sideway hug.

"I knew Peyton would understand. There's a reason we are bffs you know," Brooke said sticking her tounge at Nathan and Haley.

"What would Peyton understand?" Lucas asked as he and Lindsay joined the group.

"Nothing," Brooke, Peyton, Haley and Nathan said at the same time.

"Now I am suspicious," Lucas said grinning slightly as Lindsay came to stand next to him.

"Lindsay," Brooke greeted in a falsely sweet voice, "I didn't expect to see you here".

"Why wouldn't I be here?" Lindsay asked sweetly, "Lucas is my husband after all". And as if to prove her point she moved closer to Lucas until there was no distance between them and tightly placed her arms around his waist.

"Really? I think that litte piece of information slipped my mind," Brooke said sarcastically.

"Brooke," Lucas reprimanded but all he got in return was a glare.

"Lucas can I talk to you for a minute?" Nathan asked in a strained voice as he looked around.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Nate," Lucas said as he looked between Brooke and Lindsay.

"I am sure they aren't going to kill each other," Nathan said rolling his eyes as he took Lucas by the hand and dragged him to a secluded corner.

"What do you want?' Lucas hissed angrily as Nathan let go of his hand.

"What is Lindsay doing here?" Nathan asked.

"What do you mean what's Lindsay doing here? She's my wife, she goes where I go," Lucas defended.

"Did Skillz ask you to bring her along?" Nathan asked tiredly.

"No, but I am sure he wouldn't mind," Lucas said uncertainly.

"Oh great. This was probably supposed to be a night out with the friends, and you bring your wife along which completely ruins the mood," Nathan groaned.

"She told me this morning that if I don't get my act together, she was going to make me choose between her and Allison. I had no choice but to bring her along, Nate. If you were in my place, what would you have done?" Lucas asked pleadingly.

"Firstly, I wouldn't have married a woman that didn't have my whole heart, and secondly if you had to bring her you should have given us a little warning, and not just shove her in our faces like that," Nathan said seriously, and with that he turned around and made his way back to the bar before Brooke and Lindsay ended up killing each other.

_When you're life is going too fast_

_Off the train tracks I can slow it down_

_Just when you think Yyu bout to turn back_

_Scared you might crash I'll be your ground_

--

"What was that about? And where's Lucas?" Haley asked curiously as her husband walked back towards the group.

"He's coming," Nathan said dismissively as he took his previous seat.

"So where did you guys leave Jamie and Nat?" Peyton asked a couple of minutes later once Lucas had joined the group.

"With Deb. It was one of those lucky nights that she _didn't_ have a date," Nathan said, wrinkling his nose in obvious disapproval of her mother's dating habits.

"What about Al? Where did you leave her?" Lucas asked.

"With Dan," Peyton mumbled as Lucas' head snapped up to meet her gaze.

"Dan?" Lucas asked stunned.

"Dan, as in your dad? When did he come back in town?" Lindsay asked curiously, but Lucas ignored her as he directed his full attention towards Peyton.

"Why didn't you leave her with my mom?" Lucas asked.

"Your mom was working late at the cafe and Dan was available. But it's just for a little while. Karen said that she would call Dan when she was done and he would drop Allison off at her place," Peyton explained carefully.

"Great. This is just perfect," Lucas muttered bitterly.

"Lucas you said--"

"I know what I said, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," Lucas said angrily as he stalked off to the other end of the bar to get himself a drink.

"He'll get over it," Brooke said coaxingly as Peyton walked Lucas stalk away with a lost look on her face.

"I hope so," Peyton muttered, her gaze still stuck on Lucas, something Lindsay didn't fail to notice.

"So why do think Skills wanted to meet us here?" Haley asked a couple of seconds later in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"No idea. The text message was so vague. All it said was: _Meet me at Tric at 8:30 tonight. Bevin and I have to tell you something_," Brooke said.

"Do you think they broke up?" Nathan asked.

"I doubt that. Those two have been together for ages, and they wouldn't announce their breakup together," Lucas said as he once again joined the group with two drinks in his hands.

"Is that other drink for me?" Lindsay asked hopefully.

"No, actually the bartender gave it for Peyton. Something about paying a debt or something," Lucas said as he handed the glass to Peyton who took it gratefully.

"What did you do to end up in his debt anyways?" Lucas asked curiously.

"I lent him some money a while ago, and he said he would repay me in a drink," Peyton explained.

"Even the bartender is aware of your addiction to alcohol," Brooke teased.

"I am not addicted to alcohol," Peyton defended as she sent her best friend a sharp glare.

"I would hope not. You have a child after all. We all know that the children of drunk parents end up as criminals anyways," Lindsay said without any tact as Nathan, Haley and Brooke gaped at her and Peyton looked as if she had been slapped.

"I _never_ drink in front of my daughter. I barely have a glass a month. So don't go around telling me what is good for my daughter or not, because you have no idea what you're talking about," Peyton snarled and if looks could kill, Lindsay would have been dead right now.

"Hey, no need to get all defensive. I was just saying," Lindsay said raising her hands in surrender.

"Well don't just say," Nathan said angrily as he looked at Lucas with contempt written all over his face.

"Hey guys," Bevin greeted as she and Skills made their way into the war zone.

"Were we interrupting anything?" Skills asked as he looked around at the tense and angry faces around him.

"No, nothing at all," Nathan said as everyone around him nodded in agreement trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"And I am blind," Skills said rolling his eyes.

"Just drop it man. We're here for you and what you've got to say," Lucas said seriously.

"Well that's goof because what we have to tell you is big," Skills saide excitedly.

"It's not just big. It's magnanimous", Bevin said with a huge smile on her face.

"Dang that was a big word baby," Skills said looking at Bevin with admiration.

"I am just that good," Bevin said proudly as Skills kissed her smack on the mouth.

"Hem hem," Brooke interrupted, "Weren't you supposed to be telling us something?"

"Oh yeas, we got a bit side tracked," Bevin said giggling as she and Skills puller away from each other.

"If you don't stop all this PDA, I would have to start comparing you with Naley. And that's a sickening thought," Brooke said smirking.

"Hey we aren't that bad," Nathan and Haley protested as the rest of them started laughing.

"Yeah you're right. You weren't bad. You were horrible. I can't even count the number of times I have been mentally scarred because of you guys," Lucas said shuddering.

"Oh you're just jealous Luke," Haley said as she smacked her best friend on the arm.

"Okay guys, getting side tracked again," Skill said effectively stopping any comeback Lucas was about to come up with.

"So what is the big news? Just spill already," Brooke said excitedly.

"Okay, Bevin and I called all of you here to tell you--"

"Wait, you're not pregnant are you?" Brooke interrupted unable to resist from voicing her latest guess.

"Um no, we're not," Skills said slowly looking at Brooke as if she had lost her head.

"Then--"

"Brooke shut up and let Skills talk. We'll never hear what they have to say if you keep interrupting every two seconds," Peyton said sending her friend a mock glare.

"Fine, fine. Shutting up now," Brooke grumbled, "The floor's all yours".

"Anyone has anymore interruptions before we continue?" Skills asked playfully as Brooke stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay good. So what we have to tell you--"

"We're engaged," Bevin announced interrupting Skills long winded speech, "Sorry honey you were taking too much time and I couldn't keep it inside any more".

"You're engaged?!?" Brooke screeched once the confession had sunk in.

"We are," Bevin said proudly as she lifted her left hand to show the diamond resting on her left ring finger.

"Wow, congratulations," Peyton exclaimed as both she and Brooke enveloped Skills and Bevin in a tight hug.

"It's about time dude. You guys have been dating forever," Nathan said as and and Haley came forward to congratulate the newly enagaged couple.

"What about you dawg? No congrats from you?" Skills asked as he turned his attention to where Lucas was standing.

"I am still trying to process this Skills. Never thought I'd see the day when you would get married. Congrats man," Lucas said as he pulled Skills into a big man hug.

"Yeah congratulations," Lindsay said quietly.

"Thanks guys," Skills said as he and Bevin looked around beaming.

"When did this happen?" Haley asked as she, Peyton and Brooke inspected Bevin's ring.

"This weekend," Bevin replied happily.

"Wow, this is so cool. Have you guys set a date yet?" Brooke asked.

"We have decided some time in January," Skills said.

"January?" Brooke said surprised, "That's next month".

"I think we've spend enough time dating, so we've decided to have a short engagement. And with Brooke as our party planner I am pretty sure we'll have everything done in a week."

"I am your party planner?" Brooke asked surprised.

"Party planner and the designer," Bevin amended.

"Sweet," Brooke said her eyes glazing a little as tons of wedding plans started going through her head.

"No one better for the job than the one and only Brooke Davis," Skills said laughing.

"So have you decided on the best man and maid of honor," Haley asked curiously.

"Yup. I would like Peyton to be my maid of honor," Bevin said as she looked at Peyton expectantly.

"Me?" Peyton sputtered completely taken by surprise.

"Yeah. So what do you say?" Bevin asked excitedly.

"I would love to be your maid of honor," Peyton said enthusiastically.

"Great. And Skills would like Lucas to be his best man," Bevin said, and this time it was Lucas' turn to be surprised.

"You would?" Lucas asked Skills.

"Of course dawg. You and I have grown up together. Who else would I pick?" Skills said sincerely.

"I am game," Lucas said smiling as he pounded fists with Skills.

"Nathan and Mouth will be the groomsmen and Haley, Brooke and Rachel will be the bridesmaid," Bevin listed off.

"Rachel's coming?" Brooke asked surprised.

"Of course she is. She'll be getting here the second week of January," Bevin replied.

"Wow. I have had way too many surprises for one day," Brooke said rubbing her head trying to process everything.

"You want to get a drink Hales?" Nathan asked a couple of minutes later. After Brooke's remark, everyone had fallen into silence.

"Sure," Haley said taking Nathan's outstretched hand and with that the couple were gone.

"We're gonna go rock the dance floor," Skills said once Haley and Nathan were gone, and a second later he and Bevin were gone as well.

"You want to dance?" Lindsay asked Lucas hesitantly.

"Not really," Lucas said tiredly.

"This is a pretty good song," Lindsay insisted.

"I am not much of a dancer," Lucas confessed.

"Pshh that's BS. You are a great dancer and we all know it," Brooke said butting in the conversation.

"Brooke," Lucas groaned.

"What don't think you can keep up with the competition?" Brooke asked teasingly.

"Al right fine. Just one song though," Lucas gave in begrudgingly.

"Great, let's go," Lindsay said enthusiastically as she all but dragged Lucas to the dance floor.

_When your tears have dried from cryin'_

_And the world has turned to silent_

_When the clouds above have all departed_

_You'll be right here with me_

--

"What was that about?" Peyton asked amused once Lucas and Lindsay had left.

"I just wanted man face gone," Brooke said simply as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What's with your sudden dislike of Lindsay?" Peyton asked curiously.

"I never liked her in the first place, but now she's just getting on my nerves," Brooke said sighing slightly.

"I'll never understand you Brooke Davis," Peyton said laughing lightly.

"And neither will I," said a stranger from behind them.

"JULIAN?!?" Peyton and Brooke screamed as they turned around to see Julian Baker standing 5 feet away from them with his signature smirk on his face.

"The one and only," Julian replied smiling as he pulled both the girls into a hug.

"When did you get here?" Brooke asked stepping out of Julian's embrace.

"An hour ago I think. I went to Karen's house first and she told me that I will find you guys here," Julian explained as he took off his coat and took a seat in between the girls.

"Yeah, Skills and Bevin called all of us here to tell us that they're engaged," Brooke said.

"Oh so am I gate crashing an engagement party?" Julian asked amused.

"Nah. The announcement's done," Peyton said shaking her head slightly.

"So where's everyone else?" Julian asked looking around.

"Skills and Bevin are rocking up the dance floor and Nathan and Haley are around somewhere," Brooke said looking around with an expression of bored interest on her face.

"And Al?" Julian probed.

"She's with Karen," Peyton explained.

"So what are you doing here? And why didn't you tell us that you were coming?" Brooke asked a couple of seconds later.

"I am here on a business trip believe it or not," Julian said stretching his arms above his head.

"A business trip to Tree Hill? Is that just another excuse to see our pretty faces?" Brooke asked teasingly.

"Don't flatter yourself Brooke. As much as I missed you, this trip is solely business. I am actually here to--Lucas Scott," Julian said as his eyes found Lucas who had made his way back to where Peyton and Brooke were sitting.

"Um hi," Lucas said confusedly looking at the stranger in front of him.

"Julian Baker. I am the one who made the offer of turning the Raven into a movie," Julian said introducing himself.

"Oh, of course. Hi," Lucas said in recognition as he grasped Julian's outstretched hand for a quick handshake.

"Lucas' novel is your business?" Brooke asked stunned as she looked between the two men.

"I told you I was here on a business trip," Julian said.

"Wait you guys know each other?" Lucas asked looking around at Julian, Peyton and Brooke.

"Yeah we do," Peyton said quietly.

"Wow, talk about it being a small world," Julian said grinning.

"You knew about this didn't you? You knew and you didn't bother forewarning us about it," Peyton hissed angrily.

"I didn't think we'd run into each other at the same place," Julian confessed.

"This is perfect. Just perfect," Peyton groaned as she stalked off away from the group.

"What the hell was that about? And how do you know Brooke and Peyton?" Lucas asked pointing at Julian.

"Me and Peyton were kind of close, and that's how I know Brooke," Julian explained awkwardly.

"You and Peyton were kinda close? What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked accusingly.

"I don't think that's any of your business. And aren't we supposed to be talking about the movie?" Julian asked not in the mood to be talking about his past with Peyton. Especially not with Lucas.

"I am not in the mood right now. I am going to find Peyton," Lucas said moodily as he too stalked off in the direction Peyton had left in.

_When you're so trapped and there's just no key_

_And you can't breathe I'll breathe for you_

_The fire's got you down on both knees_

_And the walls are closing in_

_But I'll break through_

--

"Hey," Lucas said as he found Peyton in the backroom of Tric. He had been looking for the past 10 minutes and finally Nathan had told him that he had seen her going towards the backroom.

"Hey," Peyton whispered softly her back still towards him.

Without a word, Lucas closed the door and walked towards her until they were standing side by side.

"How did you find me?" Peyton asked a couple of minutes later.

"I have my sources. The better question is that why did you run?" Lucas asked curiously. It was pretty dark in the room and Lucas was having a hard time reading her face.

"It was getting too warm in there," Peyton lied.

"Liar. It had something to do with that movie producer didn't it?" Lucas probed.

"It didn't have anything to do with anyone. I just needed to get out," Peyton replied tiredly.

"Get out from the club and take refuge in this dark backroom?" Lucas asked sarcastically.

"Lucas please, just leave me alone," Peyton pleaded.

"Not until you tell me why you walked away like that," Lucas said stubbornly.

"Do you have to know everything?" Peyton asked annoyed.

"I do," Lucas said seriously.

"I couldn't stand being around two of my exes at the same time," Peyton said honestly, but as soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened as she realized what she had just revealed.

"Two of your exes? You and Julian were together?" Lucas asked stunned.

"We were," Peyton confirmed knowing that there was no point in lying any longer.

"So that's what Julian meant when he said that you guys were close," Lucas breathed out.

"Wait did Julian say something to you?" Peyton asked in a panicked voice.

"No, should he have?" Lucas asked curiously.

"No, of course not," Peyton said distractedly.

"How long were you guys together for?" Lucas asked, his heart clenching painfully at the thought of Peyton with another man.

"A little more than a year," Peyton said quietly.

"A little more than a year," Lucas echoed faintly.

"Lucas please, just let it go," Peyton pleaded.

"How serious were you guys?" Lucas asked hesitantly ignoring Peyton's plea, his heart thumping in his chest as he nervously waited for her answer. He knew he was pushing boundaries with this question, but he had to know.

"We were engaged".

_When your tears have dried from cryin'_

_And the world has turned to silent_

_When the clouds have all departed_

_You'll be right here with me_

_I'll be right here with you_

_You'll be right here with me_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N: **Dun Dun Dun! Chapter numero 14 of Far too gone!

So what do you think about this newest revelation? I hope most of you aren't too disappointed by the chapter.

I am so sorry for the late update, but I am on vacation right now and free time on the computer is really hard to come by. This chapter didn't really come out as I had wanted it to be, but I hope it was good nonetheless.

So we find out that Julian and Peyton were engaged. How will Lucas react to this? And most importantly, what happened that caused the engagement to break? All this will be cleared in the first part of the next chapter.

Also, I would like to point out that there is ono Peyton/Julian romatic relationship in this story. He will be used as a jealousy factor for Lucas, but there will be nothing more than friendship between the two. A lot of you also asked for a Lindsay scene, so I hope you liked the Lindsay/Lucas conversation in the beginning.

And lastly, reviews! Ask and you shall get! 52 reviews for last chapter! God I love you guys...I am so glad that I am keeping your interest! Thank you so, so, much for the amazing reviews! You guys totally rock.

And as a treat to all you loyal readers, I have decided on doing BOTH a Christmas and a New Year's eve chapter. So next chapter will resolve this cliff hanger and have the Christmas dinner which would end in a Leyton conversation (and hopefully those of you who think Leyton is making no progress will change your mind a little after reading that). And then chapter 16 would be the New Year's eve.

And finally, I would like to wish you all A very happy Christmas and if you don't celebrate Christmas then a very happy holidays to all of you awesome readers! Your reviews are my holiday treats so please, please, **REVIEW** and make my day! [Can we get to 600 reviews for this chapter?] ;)

**Song:** _Right here (Departed)- Brandy_


	15. Time heals old wounds

Chapter 15: Time heals old wounds

_Last chapter:_

"_How serious were you guys?" Lucas asked hesitantly ignoring Peyton's plea, his heart thumping in his chest as he nervously waited for her answer. He knew he was pushing boundaries with this question, but he had to know._

"_We were engaged"._

_

* * *

  
_

_It's been the longest winter without you  
I didn't know where to turn to  
See somehow I can't forget you  
After all that we've been through_

"You were engaged?!?" Lucas choked out, his eyes as wide as saucers as he tried to take in Peyton's confession.

"I was," Peyton confirmed as she determinedly avoided Lucas' piercing gaze.

"For how long?" Lucas asked throatily. Even though they were the only two people in the room, he was having trouble breathing.

"A couple of months," Peyton answered vaguely, feeling Lucas eyes taken in her every move.

"How long ago was this? Did everyone else know about it?" Lucas asked in a rush. There were so many questions running in his head and he needed answers to all of them.

"We started dating a year after you left and he proposed a year later. Everyone knew that we were dating, but Brooke and Karen are the only people who knew we were engaged," Peyton answered, finally meeting Lucas' gaze.

"Why?" Lucas asked after a couple of seconds, this was all getting too much for him to handle.

"Why what? Peyton asked confusedly.

"Why didn't you tell everyone else?" Lucas clarified.

"The engagement was very short. It lasted for about a month. I wanted to wait for a while before we broke the news to everyone, but we broke up before I got the chance to tell everyone else so I just buried that little detail and asked Brooke and Karen to do the same," Peyton said.

"And why'd you break up?" Lucas asked softly. This was probably the most important question.

"It was a mutual decision. We weren't really suited for marriage and he decided to go back to LA. We just couldn't make it work, so in the end we just called it quits. We're still friends though because despite everything, he had always been there for me and that means a lot to me," Peyton replied sincerely.

But even though the second part of that answer was true, the first one was a lie. But Peyton wasn't about to tell Lucas that _he_ was the reason why Julian left her again. Only Brooke knew the real reason why Julian had broken their engagement, and she wanted to keep it that way.

However, Lucas words had brought back the night when another of her relationship had crumbled right in front of her eyes and there was nothing she could about it. Not when her heart belonged to someone else.

--_Flashback—_

"_Julian, I am home," Peyton screamed as she slammed the front door of their apartment shut behind her. She had spent a very tiring day in the studio and now all she wanted to do was spend some peaceful time with her daughter and Julian. Little did she know that in the next ½ an hour, her life would be completely turned upside down._

"_In the bedroom," Julian called out._

"_Hey, are you going somewhere?" Peyton asked as she walked in the bedroom and saw Julian sitting on the bed with a completely packed suitcase beside him._

"_I am going back to LA," Julian replied, and for the first time, Peyton noticed that something was very wrong. Julian's usually cheerful face was carefully devoid of any emotion._

"_Another business trip?" Peyton asked carefully wondering what in the world was going on._

"_I found the necklace you lost yesterday," Julian said quietly completely disregarding Peyton's question._

"_You did? Where was it?" Peyton asked. She had lost her necklace yesterday, and she had been really upset about it. That necklace had a great significance for her and she had worn it everyday for the past 7 years._

"_It was under the carpet in the living room. It probably fell when you were playing with Allison yesterday," Julian explained._

"_Thanks. Can I have it?" Peyton asked as she extended her hand towards him. But once again Julian ignored her._

"_Julian is everything okay?" Peyton asked worriedly when he didn't say anything for the next minute or so._

"_It was open," Julian said in a monotonous voice._

"_What?" Peyton asked confused._

"_The necklace was open," Julian clarified looking up at Peyton for the first time._

"_That necklace hasn't opened for 3 years," Peyton said, her mouth going dry as she realized what Julian must have seen inside that necklace._

"_Who gave you that necklace Peyton?" Julian asked, his voice shaking for the first time._

"_Julian, what is this—"_

"_Just answer the question Peyton. Who gave you the necklace?" Julian repeated severely._

"_Lucas did. But it was ages ago. It doesn't mean anything to me," Peyton pleaded._

"_It means everything to you dammit. I saw how upset you were when you lost it yesterday. Ever since I have known you, you have never taken this necklace off. You have taken your engagement ring off, but that necklace hasn't come off your neck, not once," Julian spat out angrily._

"_Julian please. You're making a big deal out of nothing," Peyton said quietly._

"_Nothing? I wouldn't call this nothing Peyton. You know what's inside that necklace don't you? It's a picture of you and Lucas on one side and an inscription on the other. And that's not the only thing of Lucas you own either. That worn off gray shirt that you wear to bed belonged to Lucas too didn't it?" Julian asked._

"_Julian it was a long time ago—"_

"_If it was a long time ago, then why do you still need a part of him close to you all the time? You constantly tell me that you are over Lucas but your actions keep on saying differently. You treasure this necklace and that shirt more than anything I have ever given you," Julian said, by now the anger had completely evaporated from his voice, only to be replaced by hurt and regret._

"_Lucas means nothing to me Julian," Peyton said strongly, her eyes begging him to understand._

"_Fine. If Lucas means nothing to you, then throw this necklace. Throw this necklace and burn that shirt. Since Lucas doesn't mean anything to you it shouldn't be hard. Come on do it," Julian challenged as he handed her the necklace and the shirt._

"_Julian I- I can't," Peyton said tearfully her resolve faltering. She couldn't do it, she couldn't destroy the only two things that linked her to Lucas._

"_That's what I thought," Julian said with a humorless laugh, "I'll never replace him in your life, will I?"_

"_You can't ask me to compare," Peyton said weakly._

"_I am not. That's why I am leaving. I'll never be enough for you Peyton. I'll never be Lucas," Julian said regretfully as he got up from the bed._

"_So that's it? You're leaving me?" Peyton asked in shock._

"_I can't marry you Peyton. It won't be fair to either of us. It's best if we end this now," Julian said softly as he picked up his suitcase off the bed._

"_Julian I love you," Peyton said emotionally._

"_But not as much as you love Lucas. I can't compete with him anymore Peyton. I am done," Julian said sadly._

"_So that's it? This is over?" Peyton asked tearfully._

"_It's over," Julian confirmed as he extended his hand towards her._

_Understanding what his gesture was for, Peyton slowly took off her engagement ring from her finger and placed it in his outstretched hand. _

"_I am sorry," Peyton whispered quietly as Julian started making his way out of the room._

"_Me too," Julian said miserably and with that he was gone leaving a completely broken Peyton behind. _

_--End flashback—_

"Peyton, Peyton are you okay?" Lucas asked as he waved his hand in front of her dazed face.

"What?" Peyton asked startled as she came out of her reverie, "Oh, I am fine. Just thinking."

"Are you sure?" Lucas asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, I am okay. Seriously," Peyton said smiling a little trying to ease his worry.

"I am sorry," Lucas said after a couple of seconds.

"For what?" Peyton asked taken aback by his sudden apology.

"For your engagement. I am sorry," Lucas said sincerely.

"Thanks," Peyton said softly, extremely touched by his sincerity. Maybe he might still care.

"Peyton are you in there?" Brooke's voice called as she opened the door of the backroom.

"Yeah I am here," Peyton called out.

"Oh thank god. I have been looking for you all over the place," Brooke said as she adjusted her eyes to the dim lighting in the room.

"Why is everything okay?" Peyton asked quickly.

"Everything's fine. Manf- I mean Lindsay is looking for you Lucas. You might wanna go see her before she brings down the whole place," Brooke said sardonically.

"Right, thanks Brooke. I'll be seeing you, Peyton," Lucas said and with that he left the room.

"Are you okay? Did he ask a lot of questions?" Brooke asked worriedly.

"No, not really. I am okay, I really am," Peyton said answering Brooke's skeptical look.

"Well then you ready to go home? It's getting pretty late," Brooke said as she glanced at her watch.

"Let's go," Peyton said quietly as she followed Brooke outside, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened that night. Why did her life have to be so conflicted?

_Going coming thought I heard a knock  
Who's there no one  
Thinking that I deserve it  
Now I realize that I really didn't know  
If you didn't notice you mean everything  
Quickly I'm learning to love again  
All I know is I'mma be ok_

--

**A week later: Christmas Day at Brooke and Peyton's house**

It was 6 o' clock and Peyton was going crazy. Everyone was coming at their house for Christmas dinner and everything was still a big mess.

"Peyton will you please calm down?" Brooke said trying to calm Peyton down.

"Calm down? Calm down?" Peyton screeched, "People will be arriving in an hour and everything is out of order."

"Okay now you're just being a big drama queen. Everything is under control, seriously. I just gave Allison a bath and Sam is dressing her up. The house is cleaned and most of the food is ready. Why are you panicking?" Brooke asked.

"Oh please Brooke. It's not as if this is anything new. Every time we have a party at our house, Peyton goes completely crazy even though she knows everything will go perfectly fine. It's some sort of a ritual or something," Sam said smirking as she joined the two women in the kitchen.

"Thanks Sam. You really have a knack of raising a person's morale," Peyton said sarcastically, "Where's Allison?"

"Here I am mommy," Allison said from the doorway. She was wearing a red velvet dress with a white bow in the middle. And to complete the Christmas colors, she had pinned a green clip on top of her blonde curls.

"Aww baby, you look so beautiful," Peyton gushed as she enveloped Allison in a big hug. Her daughter was growing up so fast that sometime Peyton thought that time was playing tricks on her.

"Do you think daddy will like it?" Allison asked self consciously.

"I think daddy will love it," Peyton said smiling as she kissed Allison on her cheeks.

"I wish daddy had stayed longer in the morning," Allison sighed wistfully.

"I am pretty sure he wanted to stay longer too," Peyton said consolingly. Lucas had wanted to spend all morning with Allison, but since he had spent all of Christmas eve at their house yesterday, he didn't think Lindsay would take it lightly to him missing on Christmas morning.

"Is he coming for dinner?" Allison asked.

"He is," Peyton answered just as the door bell rang, "In fact, I think he is here."

Sure enough, when Sam opened the door a second later, they were greeted by the voices of Karen, Lily, Lucas and Lindsay.

"Daddy," Allison screamed, as she ran towards the door.

"Hey princess," Lucas said beaming happily as he effortlessly caught Allison in his arms.

"Wow someone really does look like a princess today," Karen said affectionately as she looked at Allison.

"Thanks. You look pretty too grandma Karen," Allison said seriously as all the adults burst out laughing.

"Why thank you your highness," Karen said teasingly as she gave her granddaughter a big hug.

"Oh, and merry Christmas," Allison said to Karen's shoulder.

"Merry Christmas to you too. Did you like my present?" Karen asked as she released Allison from her embrace.

"I loved it. Thank you so much, I wanted that draw and paint for ages. Mommy said I can take out my presents later so you can see all of them" Allison said enthusiastically.

"Cool. Now you'll be able to show off your presents to everyone," Lily said enthusiastically as she made Allison high five her.

"What's show off?" Allison asked innocently looking towards Lucas.

"Its something you're not," Lucas said vaguely as he picked up Allison in his arms.

"That doesn't make much sense," Allison argued.

"Don't you strain your mind too much. You'll understand one day," Peyton said as she and Brooke greeted Karen, Lily and Lindsay.

"I hate that answer," Allison pouted.

"You complain way too much little girl," Sam said playfully.

"Oh look who's talking. You're the queen of complaining Sam, I wouldn't be talking if I were you," Brooke said sweetly as Sam sent her a mock glare.

"Are we going to keep talking in the hallway or would you guys mind moving into the living room," Peyton asked humorously.

"I vote living room," Karen said, "My legs aren't as strong as they used to be."

"Mom, I think Allison is rubbing on you. You've started to complain way too much," Lily said teasingly.

"Lily Roe Scott you better take that back. I do not complain," Karen said as she glared at her mischievous daughter.

"Yes, you do," Lily said in a sing song voice as she dashed to the kitchen before her mom could say anything else.

"That girl is going to be the death of me," Karen said smiling.

"Oh Karen, we all know you can't live without her," Peyton said seriously as she, Brooke, Karen and Lindsay made their way to the living room.

"These people talk way too much," Sam said rolling her eyes as she made her way into the kitchen after Lily.

"Do you think they talk too much?" Allison asked Lucas once everyone has left.

"Sometimes," Lucas admitted grinning.

"Me too, but don't tell Aunt Brooke or I'll be dead," Allison whispered seriously.

"Don't worry your secret's safe with me. Cross my heart," Lucas promised.

"You look very handsome today Daddy," Allison said as her eyes took in her father's appearance.

"Why thank you. You look very beautiful too. I love your dress," Lucas said as he placed a kiss on Allison's forehead.

"Mommy said you will like it. Aunt Brooke made it for me. She said it would match the Christmas colors _purfectlyyy_," Allison said exaggerating the perfectly, "Aunt Brooke made mommy's dress too. It's so pretty. Mommy didn't want to wear it but I begged her to wear it and she finally agreed. She'll look so beautiful."

"Your mom looks beautiful all the time," Lucas said earnestly.

"Aww isn't this cute," said another voice from the door. Lucas quickly turned around to see Julian standing at the door with a small smile on his face.

"Julian you're here," Allison said unbelievingly as she took in the man standing at the door. The very same man that had taken the place of a father in her life, the man who she hadn't seen in a year.

"I told you I'll come didn't I princess?" Julian asked as he walked inside closing the door behind him.

But before Allison could speak, Lucas snarled, "What did you just say?"

"I said that I told her I would come," Julian said, wondering what in the world he had said to send Lucas Scott into such a rage.

"No, what did you call her?" Lucas said angrily. He knew he was overreacting, but that guy had taken his place in Peyton's heart; there was no way he was going to let him take his place in Allison's life.

"Princess?" Julian asked even more confused.

"Exactly—"

"That's daddy's name for me," Allison explained softly.

"Oh," Julian said finally understanding why Lucas was so mad, "Sorry, I didn't know."

"Well now you do, so don't ever let me hear you call her that again," Lucas spat out.

"Alright, alright calm down dude," Julian said as he raised his hand in surrender, "Won't happen again, promise."

"Better not," Lucas said and with a final glare towards Julian he stalked out of the room.

_Thought I couldn't live without you  
It's gonna hurt when it heals too  
It'll all get better in time  
Even though I really love you  
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to  
It'll all get better in time_

--

"Lucas can I have a word with you?" Peyton asked as Lucas bumped into her on the way to the living room.

"Sure," Lucas said surprised as he let go of Allison and followed Peyton into the kitchen.

"What's up?" Lucas asked once Peyton stopped in the middle of the kitchen and turned to face him.

"I wanted to give you a heads up about some of the guests I have invited tonight," Peyton started awkwardly.

"Oh like Julian?" Lucas asked quirking his eyebrows.

"How did you know?" Peyton asked astonished.

"Because I saw him come in a couple of minutes ago," Lucas explained.

"Oh he's here already? Did you talk to him?" Peyton asked.

"Something like that," Lucas said vaguely not wanting to disclose the conversation that had taken place between him and Julian.

"Why am I getting the feeling that I don't want to know what you and Julian talked about?" Peyton asked suspiciously.

"That's because you don't," Lucas said seriously.

"Lucas, what did you do?" Peyton asked groaning.

"Hey, what makes you think that I did something? He could easily be at blame here," Lucas said defensively.

"Was he?" Peyton questioned.

"That isn't the point is it? The point is that neither of us are hurt which made the conversation completely harmless," Lucas said smiling slightly.

"I give up," Peyton said sighing, "Anyways, apart from Julian, I have also invited Dan."

"What? Why?" Lucas asked angrily.

"Because its Christmas, and Dan's part of the family," Peyton explained.

"Yeah right," Lucas scoffed.

"Look Lucas I know you don't like Dan. But he's coming whether you like it or not. So I am begging you, please don't start something. I know it's going to be hard, but its Christmas and I would really like it if everyone made it out of this house in one piece tonight," Peyton said beseechingly.

"This is completely unfair Peyton," Lucas groaned.

"Please Lucas, Christmas is Ally's favorite holiday. It would completely ruin it for her if her dad got into a fight with her grandfather," Peyton said.

"Blackmail, Peyton, blackmail," Lucas whined, knowing that Peyton had won the case with that argument.

"Does that mean you'll keep your temper in check and not cause any scenes?" Peyton asked hopefully.

"I'll try," Lucas gave in grudgingly.

"Thanks Luke. That's all I am asking," Peyton said gratefully.

"Only for you Peyton. Only for you," Lucas said sighing dramatically.

"Whatever works," Peyton said smiling, "And if Brooke asks, I am going upstairs to change."

"Into that pretty dress that you didn't want to wear until Allison begged you to?" Lucas asked mischievously.

"Allison?" Peyton asked quirking her eyebrows.

"Who else?" Lucas said smirking, "Oh and by the way, you called me Luke."

"What? No I didn't?" Peyton said blushing slightly.

"Yes, you did. You said thank you Luke," Lucas said defiantly.

"Whatever, it was an accident," Peyton said as she diverted her eyes from Lucas' smug face.

"Hey you don't see me complaining do you?" Lucas asked grinning.

"I am leaving now," Peyton said blushing furiously, and without another word, she nearly sprinted out of the room leaving a pleased Lucas behind.

_I couldn't turn on the TV  
Without something there to remind me  
Was it all that easy  
To just put aside your feelings_

--

"Alright guys dinner's ready. Please make your way into the dining room in an orderly fashion," Brooke shouted as the kids all but ran past her into the dining room, clambering around the table trying to get the best seat on the table.

"I said orderly fashion," Brooke said as she followed the kids, but once again nobody paid any attention to her.

"Give up Brooke. No one can control these hooligans on the face of food," Mouth said as he moved past Brooke into the dining room.

"Gee thanks Mouth. I can just see how much I am respected around here," Brooke said sarcastically to no one in particular.

"Don't worry Brooke, I respect you," Julian said teasingly as he fell in step beside Brooke.

"Thanks Julian. Your respect means the world to me," Brooke said rolling her eyes.

"Your sarcasm never gets old," Julian said jokingly as Brooke punched him in the arm, "Ooh vicious I like that."

"Oh go to hell," Brooke said annoyed.

"Already there baby, and it's burning hot with your sexiness," Julian replied back as Brooke sent him a scathing glare.

"You really do love to annoy her don't you?" Nathan asked amused as he joined Julian at the table.

"You have no idea. I love seeing her get so worked up," Julian said laughing.

"Yeah, it is a lot of fun," Nathan agreed as he remembered to the times when he had gotten under Brooke's skin. It really was very enjoyable.

"Alright enough making fun of Brooke," Haley said as she sat between Nathan and Jamie.

"Alright everyone quiet down so we can start with grace," Karen called out as every started quieting down.

"Wow Peyton that is a lot of food. I hope you didn't make it all by yourself," Dan said once grace was done and everyone had started serving themselves.

"No, I didn't make everything. Karen sent some food from the café and Haley made the steak," Peyton said.

"And I helped too," Brooke said as she helped herself to some roast.

"Oh yeah, Brooke helped by burning the mashed potatoes," Julian said with a straight face as the whole table erupted in laughter.

"You jerk. I thought I told you to not tell anyone about it," Brooke seethed throwing a bread roll at Julian.

"I never promised anything," Julian said childishly.

"You are so lucky there are minors in this room or I would have plummeted you to the ground right here without a second's hesitation," Brooke said menacingly.

"And I would have helped," Lucas said joining in the conversation.

"Lucas, I thought I told you to be nice," Peyton said reproachfully.

"I am being nice. I haven't hit the guy yet have I?" Lucas asked innocently.

"Gosh what is this kindergarten you guys? It's Christmas, and there are kids around. Can we turn the conversation into something a little light?" Mouth asked.

"I agree. This is getting what too childish for my liking," Sam agreed giving Mouth a high five from across the table.

"Mommy can I take out my presents after dinner?" Allison asked suddenly.

"Yes, you can honey but please take them out one at a time. You don't want to break your toys before you've even had the chance to play with them," Peyton said stroking Allison's golden locks.

"Yay. I told you mommy would agree," Allison said happily to Natalie and Lily.

"Speaking of presents, I loved the jersey Dan. It was the best present in the world," Lily said enthusiastically.

"I knew you'd like it. It took me a while to get hold of that," Dan admitted.

"What did he get you Lils?" Lucas asked curiously, sending Dan a look of pure mistrust.

"He got be a jersey of the Charlotte Bobcats signed by ALL the players," Lily said her eyes shining with excitement.

"So what, you use money to buy your way into people's hearts?" Lucas asked menacingly.

"Actually, I think Dan got hold of Lily's wish list," Karen said calmly giving Lucas a look that clearly said back off.

"Really? You have my wish list? No wonder I've been getting all the presents I wanted. But you should have told me you know, I have been looking for it all over the place," Lily said accusingly.

"I never tell my sources Lily pie," Dan said mischievously, "But I am glad you liked my present. What about you Al, did you like your Pooh?"

"I love it. You know how much I love Winnie the Pooh. And the best part was that it was as tall as the Christmas tree. It took mommy and Brooke an hour to get it to my room," Allison said animatedly.

"Well we all know that your mom and Brooke are big wimps," Nathan said, "I swear cheerleading was a complete waste on the".

"Psshh look who's talking daddy. You can't even carry me anymore," Jamie said off handedly.

"Um son you do realize that you're 8 years old? You're not supposed to be carried anymore," Nathan said incredulously as everyone started laughing at the appalled look on Nathan's face.

"Talking about strength, where's Owen these days? We haven't seen him around in a while," Nathan asked curiously.

"Oh, we broke up," Brooke said.

"Is it one of those on and off break ups you and Owen are so famous for?" Skillz asked.

"No, this time it's for good," Brooke said shrugging her shoulders.

"About time. I for the life of me can't understand why you would waste time with a guy like Owen," Julian said tactlessly.

"Julian," Haley reprimanded.

"What? I am sorry but I really didn't like the guy. He and Brooke have been in an off and on relationship since god knows when. He had no idea what he wanted to do with life," Julian said seriously.

"Whatever, it's over. He moved to Los Angeles last week. And Julian is right to some extent. The relationship was getting way too old, it was time to end it for good and start afresh," Brooke said.

"You're not at all affected by the break up? I mean you guys were together for a very long time," Haley asked carefully.

"Of course I am affected. But it was my decision and I think it's for the best. So yea, it was sad to see him go but I am not going to waste my life moping about it," Brooke said impassively.

"That's my girl," Skillz said proudly from across the table.

"I do try," Brooke said with a flick of her hair.

"Okay this conversation is getting way too weird for me," Sam said as she got up from the table carrying her empty plate with her to the kitchen, "Once you little kiddies are done with dinner, meet me in the kitchen and we'll play a game away from these weirdos we call adults."

The words had barely left her mouth when all the 4 kids discarded their places on the table and ran after Sam. After all playing games with Sam was an adventure no body was willing to miss.

"This is what Christmas is all about," Haley said laughing as she looked around the content faces around her and the shouts of laughter coming from the living room. Yes, this definitely felt like the holiday season.

_If I'm dreaming don't wanna laugh  
Hurt my feelings but that's the path  
I'll believe in  
And I know time will heal it  
If you didn't notice boy you mean everything  
Quickly I'm learning to love again  
All I know is I'mma be ok_

_--_

Later that night once everything was cleared up and everyone was enjoying a lazy conversation, Peyton sneaked into the patio to get some fresh air. Even though the day had been a lot of fun, Peyton needed some time to stop and just breathe it all in.

But she had only been there for a couple of minutes when she was joined by none other than Lucas Scott.

"You have a knack of following me don't you?" Peyton asked amused.

"I can't help it. It's like I am drawn to you," Lucas said dramatically.

"Very funny," Peyton said rolling her eyes all the while suppressing a smile threatening to break on her face. Lucas seemed to be doing that a lot to her these days.

"Today was fun," Lucas said after a couple of seconds.

"It was, and I am really proud of you for keeping your temper under check," Peyton said earnestly.

"I am trying not to break promises these days," Lucas said lightly, but they both knew the deep underlying meaning behind his words.

"I think you're off to a good start," Peyton said sincerely lightly squeezing his hand.

"Thanks. You have no idea how much it means to me to have you say that," Lucas said seriously, trapping Peyton with his intense gaze.

"You know these past couple of weeks have really changed my opinion of you," Peyton said a minute later.

"Really? How so?" Lucas asked curiously but at the same time feeling elated at Peyton's words.

"Well the whole thing with Allison turned out to be really great didn't it? I mean you're amazing with her. I seriously couldn't have asked for a better father for my daughter," Peyton said honestly.

"I don't want to fail her," Lucas said vulnerably.

"You won't. I have faith in you," Peyton said comfortingly and Lucas had never felt more successful than he did at that moment.

"You're an amazing woman Peyt and an even better mother. I hope you know that," Lucas said honestly, her eyes shining with pride for the woman in front of him.

"Allison means the world to me Lucas. I will do anything for her. I never want her to feel alone, ever," Peyton whispered.

"She won't. We'll always be there for her Peyton. Our daughter will grow up with two parents who would do anything for her. You're not alone in this Peyton. I'm here, and I am not going anywhere ever again," Lucas said strongly.

"You know how I said we can't be friends," Peyton asked a couple of seconds later.

"Yeah," Lucas said hesitantly wondering where Peyton might be going with this.

"Well, I think I was wrong," Peyton admitted slowly.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked quietly not daring to hope, at least not yet.

"I mean that if we give it a real shot, we can be pretty good friends. We're not in high school anymore, we're mature adults and I think we should give this friendship thing a chance. What do you think?" Peyton asked uncertainly.

"I think there's nothing more I would like more," Lucas said eagerly.

"So shall we shake on it?" Peyton asked extending on it.

"How about we hug on it?" Lucas asked hopefully.

"I think that it's a little too soon for that," Peyton said awkwardly hoping that her answer hadn't destroyed their relationship before it even started.

"It's okay. I am willing to wait for as long as you want. We've got all the time in the world," Lucas said smiling as he grasped Peyton's outstretched hand for a quick hand shake. Even though he was disappointed that Peyton have refused his offer for a hug, he knew that he couldn't pressurize her now. Not when she had taken the first step in mending their relationship.

"Thanks," Peyton said softly relieved that he had understood instead of turning away.

"No problem. Anyways, I think we should head back in before Brooke sends out a search party," Lucas said jokingly.

"You go ahead, I'll be in in a couple of minutes," Peyton said quietly.

"Alright, but don't be too long. It's pretty chilly out here. And by the way you look really beautiful," Lucas said and was pleased to see Peyton's cheek color slightly and it wasn't because of the cold.

"Thanks. And Lucas, I don't think I have told you this, but I'm glad you're back," Peyton said softly and even though Lucas was almost at the door, he heard every word. This was without a doubt the best Christmas of his adult life.

_Thought I couldn't live without you  
It's gonna hurt when it heals too  
It'll all get better in time  
Even though I really love you  
I'm gonna smile cause I deserve to  
It'll all get better in time_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N:** Wow, what an eventful chapter! So Lucas and Peyton and friends now. What do you guys think about that? Will it last or will the chemistry become too much for either of them to handle?

Well next chapter is New Year's eve, so obviously fireworks are going to fly and I don't just mean the literal ones! Excited yet?

For those of you thinking that there was no Leyton progress, I hope this chapter changed your mind. To those of you who wanted more of Lindsay, I am sorry I didn't really include her in this chapter! I really didn't feel like writing her.

Let me say how sorry I am for the very late update, but as you all know I was on vacation and I just got home last night. So today I was juggling between writing this chapter and finishing my AP chem hw! But now I am back and school's back on so life's back on track and updates will be very frequent again!

Also, thank you so much to all of those who reviewed. I am so glad that I am keeping my old readers entranced and at the same time attracting new readers! You guys are really, really amazing and I love every review I got! Thank you so, so much!

Lastly, One tree hill returns tomorrow, so have fun and I really hope the episode doesn't disappoint cuz I am so excited like the millions of other fans! I'll try to post up the next chapter by tomorrow, and if not then definitely by Tuesday.

I hope you liked the chapter, and if you did, please leave a **REVIEW!**

**Song: **_Better in Time- Leona Lewis_


	16. Fears and Hopes for the New Year

Chapter 16: Fears and Hopes for the New Year

_Last Chapter:_

"_Thanks. And Lucas, I don't think I have told you this, but I'm glad you're back," Peyton said softly and even though Lucas was almost at the door, he heard every word. This was without a doubt the best Christmas of his adult life._

_

* * *

  
_

_The whole worlds broke and it ain't worth fixing  
Its time to start all over, make a new beginning  
There's too much pain, too much suffering_

Lucas had just walked inside the house and closed the patio behind him when he heard a little movement behind him. Startled, he quickly turned around to see Lindsay standing in front on him with her arms folded across her chest and an unhappy expression on her face.

"Lindsay, what are you doing here?" Lucas asked wondering what in the world his wife was doing in a dark kitchen.

"I could ask you the same question," Lindsay said stiffly.

"I was outside on the patio," Lucas explaining pointing to the dark patio through the kitchen door. And all of a sudden, Lucas was thankful for the darkness outside because it hid Peyton's figure really well. He didn't know why he didn't want Lindsay to know that he was out there with Peyton, it wasn't like they were doing something wrong, but somehow those moments he spent with Peyton out there felt sacred to them, something he wasn't willing to share with anyone, especially not Lindsay.

"Yeah with Peyton, I saw," Lindsay said coldly to a surprised Lucas. Had Lindsay been spying on him?

"So?" Lucas asked defiantly.

"So? So? You were out there with Peyton. Alone. In complete darkness. Doesn't that sound at least a little bit wrong to you? She's the woman you slept with one week before our wedding. Do you seriously think I can trust you with her?" Lindsay asked angrily.

"Well since you have been spying on me, then you know that all we did was talk out there. As far as I am concerned, talking to the opposite sex is allowed in a marriage," Lucas said sarcastically.

"Yeah as long as it stays to talking. But with Peyton it usually goes far beyond that," Lindsay said distrust evident in her voice.

"Listen, I don't know how many times I have to tell you this, but there is nothing going on between Peyton and me. Nothing. Nada. Nil. We're barely hanging on the border of friendship. And why do you insist on making out Peyton to be some kind of a whore. She never did anything wrong, I was the one who started it. So stop blaming her. I am sick and tired of this. These questions, this distrust. If you really want to make this marriage work, then you have to let this go, otherwise we're much better off getting a divorce," Lucas said harshly, and with that he turned around and left a stunned Lindsay behind.

--

Once Lucas had left, Lindsay let out a deep sigh and took a few steps until she was right in front of the door leading to the patio. She didn't know what she was doing, but she knew that she needed to make a few things clear. And if Lucas wasn't willing to listen, then she would have to corner Peyton. She wanted to make it very clear that she wasn't giving up her husband, not without a fight at least.

Opening the door, she shivered as the cold wind hit her body. Wrapping her arms around herself, she walked forward till she was standing only a couple of feet away from Peyton, who was still oblivious to her presence.

Coughing lightly to get her attention, Lindsay watched with some satisfaction as Peyton jumped a couple of inches in the air at the sudden interruption. It was obvious that she was deep in thought.

Turning around quickly, Peyton was stunned to see Lindsay standing only a couple of feet away from her.

"Lindsay, hey," Peyton said surprise evident in her voice.

"Um hi. Look I am sorry for disturbing you," Lindsay said awkwardly.

"No, no it's okay. I was just thinking—"

"About Lucas?" Lindsay blurted out without thinking.

"Excuse me?" Peyton asked looking surprised.

"What were you doing out here with Lucas?" Lindsay asked bluntly. There was no point in beating around the bush. She was here for a reason, and she really didn't want to bother with the pleasantries, at least not with the woman who had nearly cost her her marriage.

"Um talking," Peyton said in a 'duh' tone.

"Listen, let me get one thing straight. I don't know what your intentions are. But I do know one thing, and that is that I don't trust you. You're the woman my husband loved more than he ever loved me, and you're also the woman who also almost destroyed my marriage. I don't care if you're the mother of Lucas' daughter, because at the end of the day, I am his wife. And I am not going to just give up my husband, not without a fight. So it better be just talking or you will have me to deal with," Lindsay said threateningly.

"Okay look Lindsay I don't know what the hell your problem is, because I surely can't understand it. I have no intention of being anything more than friends with Lucas. Yes, I admit that I slept with him one week before your wedding and I am really, really sorry about it, but I for the world of me don't understand why you're feeling so threatened. I might have been the one Lucas slept with one week before his wedding, but it was you he took to be his wife. He picked you over me not once, but twice. It's obvious which one of us has his heart," Peyton said furiously, she couldn't believe that this woman was standing in front threatening her. All Lindsay had ever done was take things away from her, she had taken the most important thing of her life away from her, and she was still complaining.

Sending Lindsay one last glare, Peyton brushed past her into the house, leaving her alone in the dark, cold night.

_Lets resolve to start all over make a new beginning  
Now don't get me wrong - I love life and living  
But when you wake up and look around at everything that's going down -  
All wrong_

--

**New Year's eve- Nathan and Haley's house**

"So, is everything ready?" Brooke asked excitedly as she walked into the Scott's household on New Year's eve.

"Yup," Nathan answered, "Everything's in place. We're just waiting for everyone to get here."

"What time did you tell them to come?" Brooke asked as she made her comfortable on one of the couches.

"We told everyone to be here at 9, you know once everyone was done with dinner and everything," Haley explained as she brought in drinks into the living room.

"Great, so when are you guys going to go drop Jamie and Natalie at Karen's? It's already 8:45," Brooke noted.

"Oh we already dropped them off like an hour ago. Jamie wanted to go right after dinner because Lily got this scavenger hunt game they wanted to try out of something," Nathan said offhandedly.

"Oh, right. I should have picked that up by the peacefulness around here," Brooke said laughing, "Karen's going to have her hands pretty full tonight what with Lily, Jamie, Natalie and Allison running all over the place. She's a brave soul for agreeing to this."

"Well we were under the impression that Deb would be babysitting Jamie and Nat, but she canceled it yesterday because she has a date tonight or something," Haley said as Nathan winced in the background, he really didn't like discussing his mother's love life.

"And anyways, Karen's not going to be all alone. Dan said that he would drop by after Lucas leaves, so Karen will have company," Haley smirking quirking her eyebrows.

"Ooo la la. Karen's going to have some really good company tonight. I wonder if Dan would have the guts to kiss her when the clock strikes twelve," Brooke said gazing off into the distance.

"Guys can we please talk about something other than my parent's pathetic love lives. It's not really my favorite subject," Nathan groaned as Haley and Brooke started laughing.

"Fine, fine. But only for you Nate," Brooke said teasingly.

"Thanks Brooke. You're a great friend," Nathan said sarcastically.

"Oh crap," Haley muttered suddenly, her eyes wide as if she had just realized something.

"What?" Nathan and Brooke asked simultaneously.

"We miscalculated. We didn't count Lindsay, this adds an extra person," Haley said counting the number of people in her head.

"Well that shouldn't be a problem," said a different voice from the doorway and all three of them looked up to Lucas walking into the living room.

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked curiously wondering where Lindsay was.

"I mean that Lindsay is not going to be here tonight," Lucas said leaning against one of the couches.

"Why?"

"Where is she?"

"It's New Year's eve."

"She's in New York. She had an emergency meeting come up about one of her books being published on New Year's Day so she had to take a red eye to New York. She left a couple of hours ago," Lucas explained, not failing the look of relief that had crossed all his friends' faces.

"Oh well that clears matters up," Brooke said chirpily.

"What clears matters up?" Another voice asked, and all of them looked around to see Peyton standing in the hallway with a confused look on her face.

"Oh don't worry about it P. Sawyer," Brooke said off handedly, "There was a sudden glitch in our plan, but alls well now."

"Yeah speaking of the plan, what's all the secrecy surrounding it? When are we going to find out about this 'plan' you three have been planning ever since Christmas?" Peyton asked curiously looking at Brooke, Nathan and Haley.

"Patience P. Sawyer, patience. You'll find out very soon. You just have to wait till everyone else is here," Brooke said chidingly.

"Whatever B. Anyways Lucas, I just left Allison at your mom's place. Allison was hoping to run into you there, but she did send you an imaginary kiss," Peyton said turning towards Lucas.

"Yeah, she called me while I was on my way here," Lucas said smiling.

"Oh alright well that clears up things. So, who else are we waiting for?" Peyton asked.

"Skills, Bevin, Mouth, Millicent- she's back in town for a week, and a friend of Skills," Brooke counted off.

"Um Brooke, its Julian," Nathan said hesitantly.

"What? Who's Julian?" Brooke asked confused.

"Skills' friend. It's actually Julian. We didn't want to tell you in the beginning because you would freak out, but he was there when I invited Bevin and Skills so I invited him too," Nathan explained quickly.

"You invited Julian? I don't believe this. He's going to ruin this whole evening for me, how could you invite _him_?" Brooke asked angrily.

"Now Brooke I think you're just being unreasonable. He isn't that bad, and he's pretty good company. It's not going to be as bad as you think," Haley said soothingly.

"Oh it will be just as bad as I think. You know how much he loves annoying me, and what if I am paired—"

"Brooke, you're going to ruin the surprise," Haley interrupted sharply.

"Surprise? Did anyone say surprise?" Skills asked loudly as he, Bevin, Mouth, Millicent and Julian walked inside the Scott house one after the other.

"Damn right we did, and I can guarantee that you will love it," Nathan replied as the five of them got up to greet the new comers.

Once all the greetings and catching up was done, Brooke got up and turned towards the group with an excited smile on her face.

"Okay so Nathan, Haley and I invited you here so that we can celebrate New Year's eve in a very different way this year. Now all of you except Julian and Millicent remember that day in high school when we were divided in pairs and we had to talk about our future, dreams, fears and all that stuff right?" Brooke asked looking around to see nods of consent.

"Great, because what we're doing today is very much like that. All our names are written on little pieces of paper inside this basket," Brooke said holding up a little basket, "5 of us are going to draw a piece of paper, and we're going to have to spend the rest of this night with the person whose the name comes up. Any questions?"

"Yeah, what happens if we pick our own name?" Bevin asked.

"We put it on the side, and draw another piece of paper," Brooke explained.

"And where are we going to go? With our partner I mean. Do we pick a room or something?" Skills asked.

"You can go anywhere you want. But 10 minutes before midnight, we're all going to meet up on the River court so that the respective couples could share the traditional New Year's kiss, and start this year on a place so close to our hearts," Haley added on.

"Wow, impressive plan guys," Mouth said appreciatively.

"Yeah, it is pretty cool," Skills agreed, "The only thing missing is the countdown."

"We can turn on the radios in the cars about five minutes to midnight. They all air the countdown from New York," Haley suggested.

"Now you're talking girl," Skills said grinning.

"So is everyone in?" Nathan asked grinning.

"Oh yeah," everyone chorused as they gathered around Brooke for the drawing of names.

"Okay Skills you pick first," Brooke said as she placed the basket in front of Skills.

"Sweet," Skills said as he drew out the first name.

"Who'd you get?" Bevin asked eagerly as Skills unfolded the paper.

"Nathan," Skills said giving Nathan a high five.

"Alright next, Millicent," Brooke said as Millicent came forward and lowered her hand in the basket.

"Bevin," Millicent announced.

"Okay Julian you next," Brooke instructed.

"If you insist sweetheart," Julian said smirking as drew a name.

"Well? Brooke asked impatiently when he didn't say anything.

"You," Julian said, surprised etched on his face.

"Me?" Brooke asked blanching, "No way, no fricking way, I call for a repack."

"You can't do that Brooke. You're with whoever picked your name," Haley said firmly.

"But Haley—"

"No."

"Well seems like you're stuck with me for the next 2 ½ hours," Julian drawled as Brooke shot him the best glare she could muster.

"I knew life was conspiring against me, and this just proves it. He's going to turn this New Year's eve into a nightmare," Brooke said angrily, "Well who's left? Mouth you pick."

"Haley," Mouth called out after unfolding his chit.

"Well that just leaves Lucas and Peyton," Nathan said amusedly.

"What? Wait, no. Can't we switch?" Peyton asked hurriedly as she remembered her conversation with Lindsay.

"Yeah switch with me, please. You'll be the best friend in the world," Brooke pleaded.

"Oh hell no," Lucas said angrily, his blood boiling at the mere thought of Peyton and Julian being alone for 2 ½ hour.

"It's Peyton's—"

"Stop. Stop now. No one is changing partners. We're not here to start fights or waste the whole night switching partners. You're with who you are and that's that," Nathan said firmly, effectively stopping the argument.

"Now, any other questions?" Haley asked looking around.

"Is there anything specific we have to do with our partners, or is it up to us to do whatever we want?" Millicent asked.

"You can do whatever you want. But since this is New Year's eve, a time for new beginnings and all, we were thinking a good topic to discuss would be about what you want to accomplish in the next year. I know its lame, but sometimes telling someone about your fears and hopes for the future helps you understand the priorities of life," Haley explained.

"Cool. So can we leave now?" Mouth asked.

"Yeah. Let's get the show on the road," Nathan said, and one by one each pair exited the house discussing about what they wanted to do in the next couple of hours.

"So, where do you want to go?" Lucas asked Peyton. They were the last people to leave the house, and by the time they came outside everyone other than Mouth and Haley had already left.

"What about the river court? I know we're meeting there in the end, but I kind of want to spend the entire time there. I haven't been to the river court in ages, and I just thought it would be a great place to spend the last hours of this year. What do you think?" Peyton said hesitantly.

"I think it's a great idea. I haven't really been to the river court ever since I came back here, and I think today would be the perfect time to go there," Lucas agreed.

"Alright, let's go," Peyton said feeling a thrill of excitement settle in her stomach as they started making their way to Lucas' car. She was going to be spending multiple hours on the river court with Lucas; this was going to be interesting.

_You see we need to change it now, this world with too few happy endings  
We can resolve to start all over make a new beginning  
Start all over  
Start all over_

--

"Why didn't you want to be paired with me?" Lucas asked. They had just parked the car and was walking towards the blacktop when Lucas had decided to voice the question that was swirling around his head for a while.

"I didn't think it was a good idea for you and me to spend time alone, especially since it was New Year's eve. I mean had Lindsay been there she would have never agreed to it," Peyton said honestly.

"Well Lindsay's not here is she?" Lucas asked offhandedly.

"She's not here tonight, but that doesn't mean she's gone forever," Peyton said with a little bit of bitterness in her voice.

"Why do you care so much about Lindsay?" Lucas asked curiously.

"I don't care about her. I just don't want to ruin your marriage. Lindsay doesn't trust you around me, and I understand that, I mean I almost destroyed your marriage, and I just didn't want to cause any more damage," Peyton said softly.

"Peyton did Lindsay say something to you?" Lucas asked quietly.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just get through this okay," Peyton said, evading the question.

"Lindsay _did _say something to you. Peyton why didn't you tell me about this?" Lucas asked urgently, his temper flaring.

"What was there to tell Lucas? Yes, Lindsay and I had a talk, but it's none of your business. I think I can handle my own issues," Peyton snapped.

"I know, but Peyton you don't deserve this. Whatever happened that night was my fault, you don't have to suffer because of it. And my marriage was already on rocks before Lindsay found out about the one-night stand. You make me happy Peyton, I like being your friend and I don't want you holding back just because my wife is feeling a little insecure," Lucas pleaded.

"I just don't want to ruin your life," Peyton whispered.

"You can never ruin my life Peyton, I promise," Lucas assured her, giving her hand a little squeeze, "So we okay?"

"We're okay," Peyton said squeezing his hand back before withdrawing it from his grip.

"Great. So with that out of the day, what do you want to do next?" Lucas asked.

"We could play 20 questions. Get to know about each other's lives in the past three years. Like you said on Christmas, we have barely talked about anything other than Allison, I think this would a good time to change that," Peyton proposed.

"I am game, but you do realize that 20 questions is a very personal game right?" Lucas asked.

"I know, but Brooke's wants me to open up a little to others. She thinks it will be good for my pessimistic soul. She made it part of my New Year's resolutions this year, so I am trying for her sake," Peyton explained.

"So am I the first person you're trying this on?" Lucas asked teasingly.

"Maybe," Peyton said coyly.

"Well I am honored. I will try not to let Brooke down," Lucas said jokingly.

"Great, I am sure Brooke would give you a big hug for that. But now that we've got that out of the way, you mind starting the game? It's 10 already," Peyton said checking her watch.

"Alright but you ask the first question since you proposed the game," Lucas said.

"Okay number 1, why didn't you publish the Comet?"

"I don't know. I finished the book, but I didn't want to get it published, it just didn't seem good enough you know. Something just didn't feel right, so I never got around to publishing it," Lucas replied.

"Lucas Scott that's the lamest excuse I have ever heard! I don't get why you're so critical of yourself. You were the same way with the Raven and look how good that turned out," Peyton said incredulously.

"I just lost faith in myself, and I was never really able to get it back," Lucas confessed.

"I have faith in you Lucas. I had faith in you when we were 16, I have faith in you today, and I can guarantee you that I will have faith in you 50 years from now," Peyton said sincerely.

"Maybe that's why I didn't publish the book. It was your faith in me that made me publish the Raven, I think that was what was missing when the Comet came around," Lucas said contemplatively, "Anyways my turn, why didn't you come to my farewell party?"

"I didn't come to your farewell party because I had just found out that morning that I was pregnant. I was a complete disaster that day, and I knew that if I had gone to that party I would have broken down in front of everyone and told you about the pregnancy, which would have ended in a complete disaster," Peyton said softly.

"I wish you had came that day. I wish you had told me about the pregnancy. If you had, you would have stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life," Lucas said sadly.

"Why did you leave Lucas? You knew Tree Hill was your home and yet you moved away hundreds of miles. Why?" Peyton asked quietly.

"I couldn't stay here anymore. I felt like I was suffocating in here, you know. I needed an out, a new beginning. But on the last day, I felt as if I was making a mistake, I think on that day, I was looking for a reason that would change my mind, but when nothing came up, I packed my bags and left," Lucas said dejectedly.

"Well what's done is done, and I think that little break did us both some good. Because I know that had if you I hadn't left, I wouldn't have let you be a part of Allison's life. These 3 years had changed me completely, and I now understand things that I wouldn't have when Allison was born," Peyton said honestly.

"Well I guess the saying, everything happens for a reason, is true," Lucas said musingly.

"Hmm…I guess it is. Anyways, your turn," Peyton said.

"If you would have had a boy instead of a girl what would you have named him?" Lucas asked interestedly.

"Well Brooke and I were contemplating between two names, Matthew Keith Scott, short for Matt or Jason Keith Scott. Which one do you like better?" Peyton questioned.

"That counts as your question," Lucas said playfully as Peyton rolled her eyes, "But I like the first one better, Matthew Keith Scott, it has a better ring to it than Jason Keith Scott."

"Yeah, I liked that name better too," Peyton admitted sheepishly, "My turn to ask the quest—"

"Um no its not, you just asked your question," Lucas protested.

"That wasn't a question, it was me asking for your opinion," Peyton argued.

"Uh I don't think so. It was asked in a question which makes it a question, so now it's my turn," Lucas said flatly.

"Fine you big baby. Ask your stupid question," Peyton said giving in.

"Tell me about your pregnancy. How was it?" Lucas asked eagerly.

"Long, painful, annoying. Anything else you want to know?" Peyton asked playfully.

"No, I am serious. Tell me about everything that happened during your pregnancy from the time you found out till Allison was born. I want to know about everything I missed," Lucas said enthusiastically.

"Lucas the story of my pregnancy isn't the most interesting topic on earth. It's long and boring and you really don't want to know about it," Peyton said seriously.

"I don't care, I still want to know," Lucas said stubbornly.

"Well don't say I didn't warn you," Peyton said as she settled down on the bleachers with Lucas next to her.

"I won't," Lucas promised giving her his full attention.

_The world is broken into fragments and pieces  
That once were joined together in a unified whole  
But now too many stand alone - theres too much separation  
We can resolve to come together in the new beginning_

_--_

By the time Peyton had given Lucas every single detail of her pregnancy and Allison's birth, it was already 11:30.

"Wow, we've been here for almost two hours," Peyton said wonderingly.

"Time flies by when you're having fun," Lucas said using a quote he had heard Lily saying a lot these days.

"Talking about 9 hours of labor is hardly what I would call fun," Peyton said sarcastically.

"I know, I know, but I really wanted to know. But let's just stop the game here, we've had enough personal dose for one night," Lucas said.

"I agree," Peyton consented, "Opening up is a lot of work."

"Do you want to take a walk?" Lucas asked suddenly, "We could walk through that trail, its about 20 minutes long, and it ends near the parking lot. We'll be back by the time the others start to arrive," Lucas suggested.

"Sounds good to me, I have been sitting on the same spot for so long, I think my legs could do with a little exercise," Peyton agreed, as she got up and followed Lucas towards the entrance of the trail.

"Are you sure this is a safe trail at night? No animals or anything?" Peyton asked apprehensively eyeing the dark road ahead of her.

"It's perfectly safe, and I can guarantee you that you won't find anything here except for a few stray squirrels," Lucas assured, "So ready to go?"

"I guess," Peyton said, still a hesitant.

"I won't let anything happen to you Peyton, you should know that," Lucas said sincerely.

"I know, and that's the only reason I am going in there with you," Peyton said simply as the couple started on their trek.

--

30 minutes later

"Lucas I thought you said that this trail was 20 minutes long, it's been about 30 minutes and I don't see any opening, are you sure we aren't lost?" Peyton asked apprehensively.

"I think I just underestimated the distance. I haven't been on this trail since I was a boy, but no we aren't lost. If you strain your eyes, you'll see the opening a few yards away. We'll be in the parking lot in about 5 minutes," Lucas estimated.

"We better, because I really don't Brooke to send out a search party looking for us," Peyton said amusedly.

"Don't worry, I don't think it would come down to that," Lucas promised as the couple hastened their pace.

"Lucas, is it just me or are there noises coming from up there?" Peyton asked pointing towards the exit of the trail.

"I think it's the radios. I think they have turned on the radios for the countdown, wow it must be pretty close to midnight," Lucas mused.

"Wow, I didn't think radios could be this loud," Peyton said as the voices started getting louder the closer they got to the parking lot.

"Its 11:55, you want to make a run for it?" Lucas asked grasping Peyton's hand.

"Let's go for it," Peyton agreed as the couple sprinted the next 10 yards till they were finally standing at the edge of trail.

"Finally," Peyton gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Come on, they're all on the blacktop," Lucas said pointing out a group of people standing in the middle of the court.

Nodding, Peyton and Lucas started to quickly walk towards where all their friends stood. The radio had just announced that there were two minutes till midnight.

They were almost there, when Peyton suddenly found herself falling forward as her foot caught in one of the stray twigs on the road.

"Lucas," Peyton called out in a startled voice feeling herself reaching the ground fast.

Surprised at the urgency in her tone, Lucas looked back to see Peyton falling towards the concrete at an alarming speed. Running back, he caught her just before her body hit the floor.

Lifting her carefully, he leaned her against a car so she could regain her balance.

But that setting put both Lucas and Peyton in a very compromising position.

Peyton was leaning against a car that Lucas noticed to be Nathan's, and Lucas' hand was on her waist, his face mere inches away from her.

"Lucas you can move now," Peyton whispered, feeling her face heat up at the sudden closeness between the two.

"I can't", Lucas whispered back, he was entranced by her. It was as if his eyes couldn't get enough of her. The friendly atmosphere had suddenly evaporated leaving behind a cloud of unbidden lust. Lucas' eyes raked Peyton's face and finally stopped at her lips, he knew that at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

"Lucas we can't do this," Peyton pleaded, but Lucas could tell that her heart wasn't into it. She was just as entranced as he was. How could she not? There was just so much heat between them that she couldn't turn away even if she tried.

"Tell me you don't want this. Tell me you don't want this, and I will walk away," Lucas whispered, knowing that she couldn't deny him right now.

"I- I ca—"

"Sshhh…you don't have to say anything," Lucas said softly as he leaned closer to her face.

Somewhere from behind them the countdown had already started.

10, 9, 8…

Lucas took her chin in his hand and lifted her face up so that their noses were almost touching.

7, 6, 5…

Peyton's eyes fluttered shut as Lucas softly stroked her cheeks preparing her for what was yet to come.

4, 3, 2, 1….Happy New Year!

Lucas' lowered his head completely, and after what seemed like an eternity, his lips finally touched Peyton's and then…

"Peyton? Lucas? Where are you guys?" Brooke's loud voice called out, interrupting whatever moment there was to come and immediately snapped Peyton and Lucas back to reality.

Realizing in horror at what they were about to do, Peyton immediately pushed Lucas away trying to get as much distance and possible between them.

Both of them were breathing hard, the memory of their almost kiss burning in their heads.

"We're here Brooke," Peyton called out in a shaky voice trying to look anywhere but at Lucas.

"There you are P. Sawyer. Where were—Is everything okay?" Brooke asked in concern as she looked at the shell shocked look on both Lucas and Peyton's faces. She was even more surprised by the looks of resentment Lucas was throwing at her. What had she done? _Oh if only she knew!_

"Everything's fine. Can we go now?" Peyton asked quietly.

"Yeah, sure. Let's just go say bye to everyone else," Brooke suggested.

"No, let's just go now, please," Peyton pleaded. She didn't think she could stand one more second here. Not after what had just happened.

"Uh sure, let's go. The car's that way," Brooke said pointing towards the other end of the parking lot, feeling utterly bewildered by Peyton's attitude.

Once Peyton had left towards the car, Brooke turned towards Lucas and mouthed, _What the hell happened?_

_We need to make new symbols_

_Make new signs_

_Make a new language_

_With these well define the world_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N: **So much for being just friends, huh? Lucas just can't seem to resist Peyton!

**REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! I'll post a longer A/N tomorrow, but please REVIEW!**

**Song: **_New Begininnings- Tracy Chapman_


	17. Threats and Promises

Chapter 17: Threats and Promises

_Last chapter:_

"_No, let's just go now, please," Peyton pleaded. She didn't think she could stand one more second here. Not after what had just happened._

"_Uh sure, let's go. The car's that way," Brooke said pointing towards the other end of the parking lot, feeling utterly bewildered by Peyton's attitude._

_Once Peyton had left towards the car, Brooke turned towards Lucas and mouthed, What the hell happened?_

_

* * *

  
_

_I will not make the same mistakes that you did_

_I will not let myself_

_Cause my heart so much misery_

_I will not break the way you did_

"Peyton what the hell happened?" Brooke demanded once they were home, "And don't tell me it's nothing because I know its something,"

"Peyton?" Brooke pressed when Peyton didn't respond.

"You really want to know?" Peyton asked hoarsely after a couple of seconds.

"I do," Brooke confirmed.

"Okay but you have to promise not to judge me when I tell you, promise?" Peyton asked pleadingly.

"Promise," Brooke agreed, burning with curiosity as to what had happened.

"If you had found Lucas and me ten seconds later, you would have found us kissing," Peyton whispered.

"What?" Brooke choked out a minute later, her mind reeling from Peyton's confession.

"You heard me," Peyton snapped turning around.

"I know, but why? What happened?" Brooke questioned trying to make some sense of the situation.

"I don't know," Peyton mumbled, "One second we were running towards the river court and the next second, he was leaning towards me. I told him to stop, I told him to back off, but by then he was so close, and we were so entranced by each other that if you hadn't screamed when you did, I would have ended making the second biggest mistake of my life."

"Lucas can't keep doing that to you. He keeps disregarding his marriage, and you're the one who gets hurt in the process. I think I owe him a little visit," Brooke said angrily.

"No, no, no! Brooke please, you can't say anything. I just want to forget that this night ever happened. So, you're not going to say anything to Lucas, not now, not ever, please," Peyton begged.

"Fine, if that's what you want," Brooke relented, "But this is not right Peyton."

"Trust me Brooke, I know this is not right," Peyton said tiredly, "So much for being just friends."

And with that, Peyton turned around and walked up the stairs leaving a concerned Brooke behind.

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt  
Because of you  
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me  
Because of you  
I am afraid_

--

**2 weeks later- Skills and Bevin's Combined Bachelor/ Bachelorette Party at Nathan & Haley's house  
**

It had been two weeks since the 'incident' as Peyton referred to it in her head. These two weeks had been the longest and most awkward of Peyton's life, and she couldn't help but feel glad for the distraction provided by Skills and Bevin's upcoming wedding.

When Lucas had rung the bell of her the house on New Year's, she had acted nonchalant and pretended as if nothing had happened between them, say the night before. But of course, the nonchalance didn't suit well with Lucas, and it wasn't long before he had cornered her once again.

_--Flashback—_

"_Peyton can I talk to you?" Lucas asked quietly as he cornered her in the kitchen._

"_Where's Allison?" Peyton asked avoiding his question._

"_She and Brooke went to Clothes over Bros for wedding dress measurements or something," Lucas replied._

"_Well then what are you doing here?" Peyton asked uncomfortably. They were alone in the house, and she didn't like it one bit._

"_I told you I wanted to talk to you," Lucas said aggravated._

"_Well I would love to talk to you, but I also need to get to the store, so maybe later," Peyton said hurriedly as she dried her hands and tried to quickly exit the kitchen. No such luck._

"_No, I need to talk to you right now. The measurements can wait," Lucas said impatiently._

"_Lucas, I can't be around you," Peyton pleaded._

"_Why? Afraid that if you stay around me too long you'd be temped to kiss me again?" Lucas asked smirking._

"_Okay one, we never kissed, granted we were about to, but we never got around to doing it. Two, it wasn't me who couldn't keep my hand to myself, if I remember correctly, you were the one with no self control. And three, you have a wife for God's sakes. You have a wife and I am already known to be a slut, so let me tell you this once and for all, this will never happen again. You're never going to come that near me again, and we're never going to talk about what happened last night either. Nothing happened, and the sooner you get that through your head, the better it would be for all of us. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go," Peyton said severely as she brushed past Lucas and out of the house._

_--End Flashback—_

_I lose my way  
And it's not too long before you point it out  
I cannot cry  
Because I know that's weakness in your eyes  
_

"Hey slut, what world are you off to?" Rachel asked as she came to stand next to Peyton near the pool.

"Oh nothing except for the fact that my life is a huge mess. I am telling you Rachel, everything is—Wait? Rachel? RACHEL? What are you doing here?" Peyton asked surprised as she turned around to see the smirking face of her red headed friend.

"What am I doing here? If you haven't heard, I am one of Bevin's bridesmaid," Rachel said teasingly as she pulled Peyton into a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh it's so good to see you again, Rachel," Peyton said pulling back, "And of course I know that you're a bridesmaid, but Bevin said you were coming later tonight."

"Yeah well I wanted to surprise you all, so I took the earlier plane, and here I am," Rachel said shrugging.

"You sure are early, Brooke and me are the only guests who have arrived and that's only because we are helping Nathan and Haley with the preparations," Peyton said smiling.

"Oh yeah I can see how much of a help you're being standing here staring off into space," Rachel said sarcastically.

"Shut up, everything is ready. And I got dressed fast so I came out here to clear my head," Peyton said defending herself.

"Yeah from your little outburst earlier I could tell that you have a lot on your plate right now," Rachel replied.

"You have no idea. Ever since Lucas came back, everything's just being going downhill, and just when I think we've reached some stable ground, something happens and it all goes back to square 0 once again," Peyton sighed.

"Yeah, I heard Lucas came back 2 months ago. And we all know that where you and Lucas are concerned, nothing is ever smooth sailing. Especially now with Allison and his wife in the picture," Rachel said sympathetically.

"Oh those are just the icing on the cake. The main problem is our stupid history. It keeps interfering whenever we try to reach some even ground, and it's getting really annoying. I just wish things would go back to the way they were in high school, when the worst thing I had to go through was dealing with Psycho Derek," Peyton said wistfully.

"It's going to get better Peyton, I promise. We all go through a lot of crap in our life, and while I agree that your life might just be a tad bit more complicated than the rest of us, tonight is not the night to complain. It's Skills and Bevin's party, and we're going to be there for them with a big smile on our faces. And while we're at it, we're also going to get ridiculously drunk and make out with random guys. Now that would make us forget our troubles at least for tonight," Rachel said mischievously .

"Same old Rachel, always thinking about booze and guys. You're never going to change are you?" Peyton asked playfully, "But in case you haven't noticed, I have a 3 year old daughter, so getting drunk is out of question. And as far as making out with random guys go, I have enough going on in my life than to add a one night stand on my long list of problems."

"Oh Peyton, where is your sense of adventure. Live a little girl," Rachel said rolling her eyes.

"I am a mom. My sense of adventure is nil. And speaking about my daughter, have you met Allison yet? She's been so excited about seeing you again," Peyton said.

"Yup I met her and Brooke on my way out here. She's gotten so big Peyton, and she's turning into a carbon cop of Lucas with each passing day," Rachel said affectionately.

"Yeah I know. And if looking like Lucas wasn't enough, she's starting acting like him too, it's quite unnerving," Peyton said.

"I bet it is, but speaking about unnerving, who is that new guy in the house?" Rachel asked curiously.

"The new guy?" Peyton asked confused.

"Yeah the new guy. I have never seen him before. What did he say his name was? Oh yeah, Julian. What's the deal with him?" Rachel probed.

"Oh him, he's the guy making The Ravens into a movie," Peyton explained.

"Lucas' book? The one about his high school years?" Rachel asked surprised.

"Yup the very same," Peyton confirmed.

"But what is he doing here? Is he a friend of you guys as well?" Rachel questioned.

"Me and him were friends in LA, and he was here for a while before you visited a year ago, so that's how he knows everyone around here," Peyton replied.

"Ahh," Rachel nodded in understanding, "He's really hot."

"I really don't think he's your type Rachel," Peyton advised chuckling.

"Oh no, I am not interested in him. I was just stating an observation. And anyways, I think Brooke likes him," Rachel said smirking.

"What? Did she tell you?" Peyton asked excitedly.

"No, but I saw the way they were looking at each other. There's definitely sparks flying between the two," Rachel observed.

"Oh dammit," Peyton said slapping her hand on her forehead as if she had remembered something.

"What? Is everything okay?" Rachel asked startled.

"How could I be so stupid? Julian and Brooke were paired together on New Year's eve. Something definitely happened then, and I can't believe I didn't ask Brooke about it. I mean, I should have gotten the hint when he started dropping by at our house almost everyday, always with some excuse to talk to Brooke," Peyton said, chastising herself for not noticing earlier.

"Don't worry, we'll corner her later and get it out of her. Nobody can hide a secret when I want to get it out of them," Rachel said confidently.

But before Peyton could respond, Allison shouted out from the patio, "Mommy, Aunt Rachel, Aunt Haley is calling you guys."

"Alright, we'd be right in," Peyton shouted back as she and Rachel started making their way back to the house.

_I'm forced to fake  
A smile, a laugh everyday of my life  
My heart can't possibly break  
When it wasn't even whole to start with_

--

**7 o'clock**

It has been 2 hours since Peyton and Rachel had talked by the pool, and by now the party was in full swing. The guests had started arriving an hour ago, and once Bevin and Skills had arrived ½ an hour ago, the party had finally started.

Lucas, Lindsay, Karen and Lily had arrived about 45 minutes ago, and so far Peyton had done an excellent job of avoiding Lucas. However, her happiness was short lived.

"Hey," Lucas greeted as he and Lindsay joined Peyton at the beverage table.

"Oh hey," Peyton replied startled by his sudden presence.

" Where have you been? I have been looking for you," Lucas said pouring himself and Lindsay drinks.

"I've been around. A lot of things going on you know," Peyton said awkwardly, averting her eyes from his face.

"I guess that comes from being the maid of honor," Lindsay said stepping into the conversation.

"I guess, but I am not complaining. It's a good distraction," Peyton said forgetting who she was talking to.

"Distraction? Why would you need a distraction?" Lindsay asked curiously.

"Oh no reason, it's just good to do something different once in a while," Peyton said trying to salvage the situation, "Anyways how was your business trip? Lucas told me you went to New York to fix some last minute problem with one of your books. I hope everything is okay."

"Oh everything is fine, but I bet Lucas spent a lot of time at your place when I was gone. After all that place attracts him like a magnet," Lindsay said airily, but Peyton could hear the underlying accusation in her voice.

"No, not really. Allison usually spent most of the time at Karen's house during those days because I had to help Brooke around the store with all the dresses and stuff, so _I _really didn't see much of Lucas," Peyton said, emphasizing the _I _to get her point across.

"I told you that didn't I? But then again how could you ever trust me?" Lucas said accusingly, then turning to Peyton he continued, "And speaking of dresses, Allison's outfit is gorgeous, and she tells me that the wedding one is even better."

"Oh this one is nothing compared to the wedding one. Brooke seriously outdid herself with that one. She just got it yesterday, and Allison wanted to come over to your place and show it to you but it was really late, so I refused. But you'll see it tomorrow. It's beautiful," Peyton said animatedly.

"You should have come last night. My mom and I were up till one in the morning," Lucas said regretfully.

"It's okay. Look at it this way, now it will be a surprise," Peyton said trying to lift his spirits.

"Yeah, I guess," Lucas said half heartedly, "What color is it?"

"It's baby blue. The exact same color as her eyes," Peyton said affectionately, "And if you get there early enough, you might see her before the wedding."

"I think I might just do that," Lucas said smiling softly.

And before Peyton could say anything else, Lindsay stepped in the conversation once again, "Lucas honey, why don't we go say hi to Mouth over there. He just arrived."

The second the words left her mouth, Peyton knew immediately what the problem was. The conversation was become way too two-sided for Lindsay, and she knew she had to put an end to it before her presence was entirely forgotten. She was being very clingy to Lucas these days, and Peyton was surprised she hadn't spoken sooner.

"But—"

"No, its okay. You guys go right ahead, I have to find Brooke and Allison anyways," Peyton said softly giving Lucas a comforting smile.

"Fine, let's go. Oh and one last thing, I need to know the color of your dress for tomorrow so I could match my tie with your dress," Lucas said.

"What? Why?" Peyton asked confused.

"Um we have to walk down the aisle together remember? Brooke said I had to wear a tie matching your dress. So what color is your dress?" Lucas asked again.

"Royal blue, it's royal blue," Peyton choked out.

Up until the point Lucas had mentioned it, she had completely forgotten that Lucas was the best man. So not only did that mean that she would have to walk down the aisle with him hand in hand, but she would also have to share at least one dance with him.

_Oh shit. This wedding didn't look all that appealing anymore._

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt_

_--_

"Brooke where the hell have you been? I've been looking for you all over the place," Peyton gasped as she came to a stop next to her best friend who was currently standing alone in the kitchen.

"I was talking to Haley and Bevin about last minute wedding preparations. Why? What happened? Is everything okay?" Brooke asked concerned.

"No, no, everything is not okay. Lucas is Skills best man," Peyton burst out, her eyes wide.

"Um yes, I am aware of that fact. Skills asked him to be his best man in front of everyone that day at Tric when he made the announcement of his engagement. You were there weren't you?" Brooke asked confusedly wondering why her friend was acting so frantic.

"I know. I know. I just can't believe I forgot about something so major," Peyton said distressed, "Ever since the New Year eve incident, I have been over the place, but I didn't think I would forget something so significant…."

"Peyton, honey, you're rambling. Yes, I know Lucas is the best man, but what I fail to see is why you're so freaked about it? What's the problem?" Brooke asked cutting into Peyton's rant.

"What's the problem? What's the problem? The problem Brooke is that I have to walk down the aisle with him, _hand in hand_. And if that wasn't bad enough, we'll have to share a dance together as well. I can't do that. This wedding is going to be a disaster, I can feel it," Peyton ranted, "Maybe I could ask Bevin to make Rachel her maid of honor, "Yeah that sounds like a good plan. We could tell Lucas that there was a last minute switch, and Rachel could take—"

"Woah, woah buddy slow down," Brooke cut in once again, "We're not changing anything one day before the wedding. Everything's been finalized, so you're just going to have to suck it up and be the perfect maid of honor everyone believes you to be. You're not going to let your history with Lucas get in the way tomorrow, because tomorrow is Skills and Bevin's day, and we want to make it as special as we can for them. So, no you're not switching with anyone," Brooke said firmly.

"But Brooke—"

"No, I am not willing to go to Bevin and tell her that her maid of honor has just chickened out. That doesn't do anything for self esteem," Brooke said severely, and Peyton felt herself shrink under her intense glare, "And anyways, do you seriously want to give Lindsay the impression that you're too afraid to be paired up with her husband. Tomorrow is your chance to go out there and tell Lindsay that all her bull crap doesn't mean anything to you."

"I guess you're right," Peyton said giving in, feeling her resolve strengthen as she thought about the clear statement she'll be making to Lindsay when she would walk down the aisle with her husband, "And you guys will be there too, so it won't be that bad."

"Oh I didn't tell you?" Brooke asked with a guilty look on her face.

"Tell me what?" Peyton asked quietly.

"There's been a slight change of plans," Brooke said quietly wincing inwardly as she prepared to drop another bomb on Peyton.

"What do you mean change on plans?" Peyton asked softly.

"Well you see, since there were so many bridesmaids and groomsmen that we decided that only you and Lucas will walk down the aisle, the rest of us will already be at the altar before the ceremony starts. So when the music starts, you and Lucas will walk in followed by Jamie, Allison and then finally Bevin," Brooke explained hurriedly.

"Wait are you telling me at the last minute that Lucas and I are the only couple walking down the aisle?" Peyton asked in a choked voice.

"I am sorry," Brooke said guiltily.

"Unbelievable, un-fricking-believable. Life hates me. There's no other explanation," Peyton said bitterly.

"It's not going to be as bad as you think it will be," Brooke said trying to cheer her friend.

"Easy for you to say," Peyton mumbled rubbing her temples.

"Hey bitches, what are you guys doing alone in the kitchen?" Rachel asked coming in the kitchen, "And why does Peyton look like she's about to slit her wrists?"

"She just realized that Lucas is Skills best man which means that she'll have to walk down the aisle and share a dance with him. And then I told her that she and Lucas will be the only couple walking down the aisle, and I think that was the straw that broke the camel's back," Brooke explained.

"Oh yeah, Bevin told me about that. I was wondering how Peyton took to that news, but I guess I found my answer. Oh, and Lucas asked me to tell you that he needs a royal blue tie, because Peyton told him that her dress color is royal blue and he wanted to match with her," Rachel went on.

"Yeah, another of Brooke's ingenious ideas. Why the hell did you tell him that he should match with me? That's ridiculous, especially since he is married. He should match his wife's dress, not mine" Peyton said irately.

"Um Peyton what are you talking about? I didn't tell him anything about matching anything with your dress. I mean I thought about it, but then I thought that it would make you guys look way too much like a couple, and I discarded that idea," Brooke said.

"What? Are you saying that Lucas made that whole thing up?" Peyton asked shocked.

"I guess, because I swear Peyton I didn't tell him anything like that," Brooke said quickly.

"That bastard," Peyton said fuming, "And speaking of bastards, what's going on between Julian and you? Rachel told me that you guys were eyeing each other."

"Psshh eyeing each other is way too tame of a word. It was more like eye-sex," Rachel said rolling her eyes.

"Uh excuse me? What the hell are you guys talking about? There's nothing going on between Julian and me," Brooke said dismissively, but the rosy blush on her cheek told her friends other wise.

"Oh yeah, I have seen countless of friends looking at each other as if they were mentally undressing them. How could I be so stupid to think that it was nothing more than platonic," Rachel said sarcastically.

"And you can't deny that nothing happened between you guys on New Year's eve. Because ever since that night, he's been coming by way too often, always with some excuse to see you," Peyton added.

"Okay so we kissed on New Year eve, but nothing happened after that. We both just got carried away that night, but it didn't mean anything. We decided not to bring it up again, and struck a friendship, and that's why he's been dropping by so often," Brooke explained.

"A kiss always means something, Brooke, and I see the way you guys talk to each other. When you're around it's like you forget anyone else is around you," Peyton said softly.

"Guys there's nothing going on. I promise. We're just friends, seriously," Brooke said with an awful finality in her tone.

"Fine, if you guys are just friends, I hope you don't mind that I asked him to be my date to the wedding, and he agreed," Rachel said twirling a lock of her hair.

"What? You asked him out? What the fuck Rachel? And he said yes? He said yes? That son of a bitch, I thought he—Wait why the hell are you laughing?" Brooke asked severely looking around to see Rachel and Peyton cracking.

"Oh honey you should have seen you face. You looked like you were going to strangle someone, and looking at where your glare was directed, I would say that unfortunate bloke would be the movie director talking to Nathan," Peyton said teasingly.

"And I lied. I didn't ask Julian out. I knew that you liked him, and I would never do that to you. But the look on your face, damn it was priceless," Rachel said bursting into laughter.

"You lied? Rachel, why the hell would you do that?" Brooke asked blushing to the roots of her hair.

"To make you realize that you liked Julian more than a friend," Rachel said simply.

"I have to admit, that was amazing. I would have never been able to pull that off myself," Peyton said looking impressed.

"And you guys call yourself friends? Unbelievable," Brooke said glaring at the two women beside her, "Who needs enemies when they've got friends like you."

And with that, she turned around and stalked out of the room, leaving Peyton and Rachel laughing behind.

"Now she's mad at us," Rachel stated.

"Don't worry, she'll be over it by tomorrow. She doesn't like other people telling her what she feels. But she's going to realize sooner or later that we just wanted the best for her. Even though I do feel a little guilty for pushing her," Peyton confessed.

"Yeah, we probably shouldn't have done that. 10 bucks that she and Julian will be together by the wedding tomorrow," Rachel said smiling mischievously.

"20 bucks that they're together by the end of the night," Peyton said, looking at where Julian had just approached Brooke at the dining table.

"You're on," Rachel said smirking as they both shook on it both thinking the same thing:

_Some friends they were. But then again, since when have a little bet hurt someone? _

_Because of you  
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me  
Because of you  
I am afraid_

_--_

"If you could go back to any one specific time in you life, what would it be?" Lucas asked coming out of the blue.

"Lucas where the hell did you come from?" Peyton asked startled turning to face Lucas who was standing in front of her with a very contemplative look on his face.

"I have been around, and answer the question," Lucas said vaguely.

"What was the question again? I was too startled to pay attention when you asked the first time" Peyton said tiredly.

"If you were given the opportunity to go back in time, where would you want to go back to?" Lucas asked again, rephrasing the question differently this time.

"I don't know," Peyton answered, bewildered by the out of the blue question.

"Oh come on. Wasn't there any time of your life that you wish you could relive again?" Lucas insisted.

"Well I guess I would want to go back to the second semester of our senior year," Peyton said nonchalantly.

"Yeah? And if I asked you to chose a specific event from our second semester of senior year, what would you say?" Lucas added.

"What's all this about Lucas? Are you making a time machine or something?" Peyton asked aggravated, but not because of his presence, no it was because his questions were leading her thoughts to the one time period of her life she didn't want to think about. Especially not today.

"Please Peyton, just answer the question. I need to know this," Lucas said softly.

"Honey Grove," Peyton replied quietly.

"Why?" Lucas asked matching her tone.

"What is this 20 questions Lucas? I answered your questions, I don't have to justify them," Peyton snapped, not wanting to go in detail about why Honey Grove was one of her most cherished memories, especially not to him.

"This is the last question. I promise. Just answer this and I won't ask you anything else," Lucas promised.

"Lucas you shouldn't have to ask that question. You know why Honey Grove was important to me, so why the hell are you playing devil's advocate? But fine if you want to know then listen. It was because Honey Grove was where we made love to each other for the first time. And that meant something to me. I knew that I already loved you by that point, but after that night, I was sure that you were the guy for me. I thought that I had found my Mr. Right. That night was the most important and happiest night of my life. Was that what you wanted to hear Lucas? About how even now 7 years later, but best memory of high school was when I was with you? Does it give you some sort of sick pleasure it opening up my old wounds that I've been trying to cover for so long?" Peyton asked angrily, her voice catching in her throat as she felt tears prick in her eyes.

"Peyton I didn't mean—"

"You didn't mean to what Lucas? You didn't mean to break my heart over and over again? Or that you didn't mean to lie to me and tell me that Brooke wanted your tie to match my dress?" Peyton asked viciously.

"Ah you found out about that," Lucas said uncomfortably, "But I honestly didn't have any ulterior motives, I just thought that since we'd be walking down the aisle together, it would look good if we both matched."

"No, no, no. You can't do that Lucas. And you know why? Because you're married. You're supposed to match your wife, not me, especially considering our situation," Peyton snapped, "And if the whole thing with us wasn't complicated enough, you keep bringing up our past. Before you came back, I was doing a very good job pretending that our high school years didn't exist, and then you come here and all you keep reminding me of is what was. I don't want to live in the past Lucas. It's been 7 years, and I need to shut those doors forever. My life is pathetic enough without you constantly reminding me about all that I have lost. I am not that strong Lucas, and I don't know how much more of this I can handle."

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked in a panicked voice.

"I mean that if things continue going on the way they are, I might move to Charlotte with my dad. That way you won't be that far away from Allison, and I won't have to see you all the time. Now it's up to you to decide if you're going to keep pushing my buttons, or give me the space I desperately need. Because I can't go through this torture everyday, I just can't," Peyton said sadly, and with that she walked away leaving a gawking Lucas behind.

_She couldn't be serious, could she?_

_I watched you die  
I heard you cry every night in your sleep  
I was so young  
You should have known better than to lean on me  
You never thought of anyone else  
You just saw your pain  
And now I cry in the middle of the night  
For the same damn thing_

--

While Lucas and Peyton were have the heated conversation on one side of the house, Allison sought out Lindsay among the crowd in the living room.

"Hey Lindsay," she greeted softly. She was still very shy around her, not having the chance to be around her much. So it was very awkward for her to seek her out in the crowd and ask about the whereabouts of her daddy.

"Oh hey Allison," Lindsay smiled back, surprised to find the little girl talking to her. But she didn't mind the company, because Lucas had left her alone a while ago telling her he'd be right back, and now 20 minutes later, there was still no sign of him.

"I wanted to ask you a question," Allison said shyly.

"Um sure what is it?" Lindsay asked kindly.

"Do you know where my daddy is?" Allison asked in a rush.

"Lucas? No, I don't know where he is? Why? Do you need anything?" Lindsay asked.

"Yeah, Jamie and Uncle Nathan are playing Guitar Hero and Jamie asked me if Daddy and I wanted to play against them. I've been looking for daddy all over the place to ask him to play with me, but I can't find him anywhere," Allison said sadly.

"Oh, well I don't—" Lindsay trailed off, because at that very moment her eyes found her husband. He was standing in the empty dining room next to Peyton with a stricken look on his face. Looking at the two, she felt a surge of anger bubbling in the pit of her belly. She had told Lucas countless of times that she didn't like him being alone with Peyton and yet, he was next to her at every opportunity he got. And by now, she was sick of her verbal complaints because they never had any effect. She had to do something more drastic, something that would prove to Lucas that she wasn't supposed to be taken lightly. But what?

"Uh Lindsay, you there?" Allison's query brought Lindsay back to reality, and as she looked down to see the little girl looking questioningly at her, she knew immediately what she had to do to make Lucas take her seriously.

If she couldn't spend time with Lucas, then Allison wouldn't be spending time with her daddy either.

"Oh yeah honey I am still here," Lindsay said in a sweet voice, pasting a fake smile on her face.

"So you don't know where he is?" Allison asked dejectedly.

"Um actually now that I think about it, Lucas told me that he had to make a very important business call, so he left the party a couple of minutes ago," Lindsay said making up the story as she went.

"Oh, do you know when he'll be back?" Allison questioned.

"No, I don't. He didn't say if he was coming back or not, but I saw him say good bye to Skills and Bevin, so I don't think he'll be coming back," Lindsay continued, putting up a sad face.

"Oh," Allison said quietly, trying to fight back tears. Her daddy had left without even kissing her good night.

"I am sorry," Lindsay said feeling a little guilty about using Allison like that. She knew that the little girl had done nothing wrong, but she also knew that the only way to get Lucas to pay attention to her was to target Allison. And it wasn't as if she was kidnapping the girl or something. She was just telling her a little lie to try to get what she wanted. That's not a crime, _Right?_

_Because of you  
I never stray too far from the sidewalk  
Because of you  
I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt_

--

Once Lucas had regained the feeling in his legs, he turned around and made his way towards the patio door. He didn't think he could stand one more minute in the crowded house. He needed to get some fresh air, clear his head and think through what Peyton had just told him.

Opening the door, he slipped outside unnoticed and closed his eyes as the first gust of fresh air hit his face. He had never been more shocked in his life than he was when Peyton told him that she might move to Charlotte. He didn't think he could survive if Peyton and Allison moved away. Seeing Allison and spending time with her was the highlight of his day, and he didn't think he could live without seeing her everyday, especially now when Allison had become such a huge part of his life.

And speaking of Allison, what the hell was she doing sitting on the patio steps all alone?

Blinking to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating, he opened his eyes again to see that Allison was indeed sitting on the steps gazing at the water in the pool with a glazed expression on her face.

"Al? What are you doing out here all alone?" Lucas asked, walking towards her until he was in front of her.

"Daddy?" Allison asked, looking to face her father with a surprised look on her face, "What are you doing here? I thought you had gone home."

"What? Why would you think that? You know I wouldn't have left before saying bye to you," Lucas said, wondering who told Allison that he had left.

"Yeah, I thought so to. But then when I went to ask Lindsay where you were, she told me that you left because you had to make a very important business call," Allison explained.

"What business call? I didn't have any business call to make," Lucas said incredulously.

"That's what Lindsay told me. I was looking for you all over the place because I wanted you to play Guitar Hero with me against Jamie and uncle Nathan, but I couldn't find you anywhere, so I asked Lindsay. And at first she said she didn't know where you were, but then she said she remembered you telling her that you have an important business call and that she didn't know if you'd you be back. And she also said that she saw you saying bye to Skills and Bevin, so I thought you had left without saying goodbye," Allison said, repeating word for word everything Lindsay had told her.

"Wait let me get this straight. You wanted to play Guitar Hero with me, but you couldn't find me anywhere so you decided to ask Lindsay where I was. And Lindsay told you I had left?" Lucas asked angrily, finally understanding what had transpired between his daughter and his wife.

"Yes," Allison confirmed nodding her head vigorously.

"And that's why you're sitting out here alone in the cold? Because you thought I had left without saying good bye?" Lucas asked softly picking Allison in his arms.

"Yes," Allison said softly, "I was sad that you had left without even telling me. You always kiss me goodnight before you go home, and I thought your forgot."

"Oh princess, I would never forget about kissing you good night or saying good bye to you, ever. I am so sorry that Lindsay made you feel so sad. I never wanted to see with a frown on your face and my wife goes and do the one thing I've being trying to prevent ever since you came into my life," Lucas said, saying the last part more to himself than to Allison. He couldn't believe that Lindsay would have the audacity to lie to an innocent 3 year old. He didn't think that she was capable of sinking so low.

As he looked at the content face of his daughter, he felt a surge of anger and hatred towards his wife as he realized how her one lie had caused Allison so much pain.

"Listen princess, why don't you go inside and get ready to play some Guitar Hero against Jamie and uncle Nathan, and I'll join you in a couple of minutes, okay?" Lucas asked as he gently placed her back on her feet.

"You mean you're going to play?" Allison asked eagerly, her face lighting up in excitement as she heard her father's words.

"You bet we are. Now go inside and tell Jamie and Uncle Nathan to get ready to lose," Lucas said smiling lightly.

"Thank you, daddy. You're the best. I love you," Allison said jumping up and down as she enveloped Lucas' into a big bear hug.

"I love you too Princess," Lucas said affectionately as he watched Allison run inside, her face alight with happiness.

Once Allison was out of sight, Lucas straightened up, and followed her inside with only focus on his mind- To find Lindsay. Because no one messes with his daughter and get away. Not even his wife.

_Because of you  
I try my hardest just to forget everything  
Because of you  
I don't know how to let anyone else in_

--

"Lindsay can I talk to you for a second?" Lucas asked quietly once he had found her talking animatedly to Mouth.

"Yeah sure," Lindsay said turning around to face Lucas.

"I'd like to talk to you outside," Lucas said shortly.

"Oh um sure, lead the way," Lindsay said confused at the furious look on her husband's face.

Lindsay quietly followed Lucas out to the patio, and as soon as the patio door closed behind them, Lucas rounded on her, rage emitting from every part of his face.

"What the hell did you tell Allison when she asked you where I was?" Lucas snarled.

"I told her I didn't know," Lindsay said, feigning innocence, but on the inside she knew that she was in big trouble.

"Do not lie to me. Haven't you done enough of that already by lying to an innocent 3 year old?" Lucas spat out.

"Lucas I don't know what you're talking about? What has Allison been telling you?" Lindsay asked frantically.

"Allison was sitting out here in the cold all alone because you lied to her telling her that I had gone home for some business call. Why would you lie to her like that?" Lucas asked disgustedly.

"Lucas I told Allison that I didn't know where you were. I don't know what kind of stories she had been telling you," Lindsay said defiantly still not accepting defeat.

"And you're still lying. Unbelievable. Are you seriously telling me that Allison made that story up all by herself? She's 3 years old Lindsay," Lucas snapped.

"Well it wouldn't surprise me if she had indeed made up that story. After all, look who she has for a mother. Peyton is the—"

"That is enough," Lucas said in a deadly calm voice, "You and I both know that you lied to Allison, and I am having a hard time believing that you're lying to my face about it as well. I never thought you'd sink to this level Lindsay."

"And I never thought you'd cheat on me, or blatantly disregard my request when I tell you not to be alone with Peyton. I think what you've done is much worse than what I did," Lindsay said angrily.

"Lindsay our marriage and our problems are between you and me. And let me get one thing really clear: Allison means the world to me. So if I ever see you lying to her again, or if I even see so much as a frown on her face because of you, then we're over, because nothing is more important to me than my daughter," Lucas said severely.

"Are you threatening me?" Lindsay asked stunned.

"You can take it as whatever you want it to be, but you mess with Allison again, and our marriage is over, and that's not a threat, that's a promise," Lucas said harshly, and with that he turned around and walked inside the house leaving a stunned Lindsay behind.

_Because of you  
I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty  
Because of you  
I am afraid  
Because of you  
Because of you_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N: **WOW! 8000+ words! Unbelievable! This has got to be the longest chapter I have ever written in my life. No wonder it took me 2 whole days to complete it.

But as a whole, I am pretty pleased with the way this chapter came out to be, and I hope you guys feel the same way about it.

Since the last chapter didn't have an author's note, there are a couple of things I want to say:

**The divorce**: Most of you will be very, very pleased to know that Lucas/Lindsay divorce is only 4 chapters away! And as you can tell from this chapter, there's a lot of tension going on between the two and it won't be long before Lindsay has finally had enough

**Wrap-up of the story**: I was going through my list of chapters, and I realized that I just have about 10 more chapters left for this story (excluding the 2-part epilogue). I can't believe that I more than ½ way over with this! So now that we slowly coming to and end, I am hoping for at least a 1000 reviews by the time I complete this story. I have 650 reviews right now, and I would really like all my awesome readers to make my wish come into reality! So please keep reviewing!

Also, next chapter is the **wedding chapter**, and as you all know Peyton and Lucas would be sharing a dance. So, I wanted to ask all of you to think of a song that might relate to Leyton and post it in your review! I am looking for a song that's good enough for a wedding and also relates to Leyton at the same time! (Do not write "Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez because I will use that song in the actual Leyton wedding). So let me hear your thoughts and ideas, and next chapter will be dedicate to that reviewer/ reviewers whose song I chose for the Leyton dance! Also, just a little teaser: Next chapter will end in a cliffhanger that will send you reeling in shock (any idea of what it could be?)

**Chapter length**: I am so sorry for such a humongous chapter! I don't know how many of you actually like long chapters like these, but if you find such long chapters hard to read, please let me know (keeping in mind that this will probably be the longest chapter I will ever write!). Also, when I write such long chapters and put so much of my effort and time in them when I should be studying for my finals, I really have high expectations for the feedback I get from you guys. So for this extra long chapter can I get 40 reviews? Please =]

And finally, I would like to thank all the wonderful reviews I got for last chapter! You guys are all amazing, seriously!

So with all that out of the way, I hope you liked the chapter and all the hard work I put into it, so please, please, please tell me what you think and **REVIEW** (it only takes a minute!). Also, I would be answering signed reviews this time, so don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have!

**Song: **_Because of you- Kelly Clarkson_


	18. Eternal love & An accident

Chapter 18: Eternal love & An accident

**Dedication: **This chapter is dedicated to _Leytonalways_ for choosing the song _That's when I love you- Aslyn _that will be used during Skills and Bevin's wedding dance!

_Last chapter:_

"_Lindsay our marriage and our problems are between you and me. And let me get one thing really clear: Allison means the world to me. So if I ever see you lying to her again, or if I even see so much as a frown on her face because of you, then we're over, because nothing is more important to me than my daughter," Lucas said severely._

"_Are you threatening me?" Lindsay asked stunned._

"_You can take it as whatever you want it to be, but you mess with Allison again, and our marriage is over, and that's not a threat, that's a promise," Lucas said harshly, and with that he turned around and walked inside the house leaving a stunned Lindsay behind._

_

* * *

  
_

"Peyton Sawyer if you don't get that skinny ass here right now, we won't be having a wedding tonight," Brooke screamed from the dressing room where the bride and the bridesmaid were currently getting dressed in.

"What the hell happened now?" Peyton asked aggravated. She had just gone to the main room of the church to make sure everything was right for the wedding when Brooke's hassled scream made her running back to the dressing room.

"Don't run in that dress. I slaved over it for days, and if you keep running like that you'd rip it before the wedding even starts, that is if there is a wedding," Brooke said rolling her eyes.

"Okay one, if you don't want me ripping this then don't tell me to get my skinny ass here as if the world's about to end. And two, why in God's name wouldn't there be a wedding tonight?" Peyton asked, gathering the hem of her dress to prevent it from being tangled in her heels.

"Because Bevin—"

"Damn Sawyer, you look hot. You are totally gonna knock Lucas out when he sees you in this," Rachel said appreciatively coming out of the dressing room.

"Rachel how many times do I have to tell you that—"

"You have no intention of knocking Lucas out, and that he has a wife who's way more gorgeous than you. Yeah, yeah I know. I have heard that at least a million times today. But seriously Peyton, we both know that's bull crap. Lindsay has got nothing on you," Rachel said rolling her eyes at Peyton's stubborn denial.

"I am not having this conversation again," Peyton said firmly turning her attention towards Brooke, "Now can you please tell me what's going on?"

"It's Bevin. She's completely freaking out. I mean I thought it was natural to be a little nervous before your wedding, but Bevin is on the verge of collapsing with nerves. She's seriously thinking about canceling the wedding," Brooke said frantically.

"What? She can't do that. And why did you call me?" Peyton asked worriedly.

"Because I think you're the only one who can get through to her. Rachel and I have both tried to no avail. Now it's your turn," Brooke said simply.

"Brooke you of all people should know that I am a complete amateur when it comes to giving romantic advice. I should be the last person you should be asking to salvage the situation," Peyton said incredulously.

"You are the last person. Haley's not here yet, and Rachel and I have given it a shot. So, you're going to walk inside, and knock some sense in Bevin, because we both know that you can do it," Brooke said confidently.

"But—"

"No buts. Go. Now," Brooke said firmly, giving Peyton a little push towards the Bridal dressing room.

"Fine, fine. But don't blame me if she ends up throwing herself out of the window," Peyton said rolling her eyes as she opened the door to Bevin's dressing room and walked inside.

--

"Hey", Peyton said softly as she entered Bevin's dressing room, lightly closing the door behind her. She winced slightly as she took in Bevin's disheveled form in front of her. Her eyes were blood shot and she was rapidly spinning the curling iron in her hands.

"Hey, wh- what are you doi-doing here?" Bevin stuttered looking up with panic stricken eyes.

"I heard you weren't doing so well, so I decided to drop and see what's wrong," Peyton said softly.

"Yeah, it just dawned to me that I am getting married in less than 2 hours, and I also just realized that I can't do it," Bevin said with a nervous laugh.

"It's just nerves Bevin, you don't mean that," Peyton said slowly, trying to knock some sense in the woman in front of her.

"Oh yeah I do. I am not ready. I can't do this. I can't," Bevin ranted.

"Bevin, put that curling iron down and listen to me," Peyton instructed.

"I don't want to listen to anything. I am telling you, I am not getting married. This is way too sudden for me. How do I know that I am not making a mistake?" Bevin cried out desperately.

"Do you love Skills, Bevin?" Peyton asked quietly as she took her by the hand and led her to the nearest couch.

"What? Of course I do. I wouldn't be here if I didn't love him," Bevin said sincerely.

"Then what's the problem? If you love Skills and he loves you—"

"But does he? Does he love me?" Bevin asked desperately.

"Bevin how can you even ask that? Of course he loves you. He loves you more than anything else in the world," Peyton explained patiently.

"But what if he realizes that he is making a mistake? I mean, look at me. Why would he want to marry me?" Bevin asked tearfully.

"So this is what's bothering you isn't it? You think that Skills is going to back out? You think you're not good enough for him?" Peyton asked softly.

Bevin slowly nodded, hanging her head ashamed of her vulnerability.

"Oh honey, that's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," Peyton said laughing lightly at how absurd Bevin's fears were.

"This is not funny," Bevin snapped harshly.

"I know, I just can't believe how irrational you're being. Skills love you. You mean more to him than anything else in the world. You guys have been together for 8 years, and honestly I envy your relationship. Love is not easy. Relationships take time, effort and work. And the fact that you guys have made it work for so long, is an amazing feat. You both are perfect for each other, and either one of you would be completely crazy to back out now. This is it for you Bevin, this is your guy, your chance at true love. You guys have come too far to turn back now, because trust me when I say this, true love doesn't knock on your door twice. You have to embrace it when you have the chance or you will end up regretting it forever," Peyton said softly, her own eyes brimming with tears as the words flowed from her mouth.

"Thank you," Bevin whispered after a minute. She had taken some time to think about Peyton's words, and realized how right she was. She couldn't believe that she had ever doubted her love for Skills, or worse Skills love for her, "I think you just saved my relationship, and cleared my doubts for good."

"Anything for true love," Peyton said smiling lightly, "You and Skills are lucky to have found each other. I have never seen two people more in love ever since Nathan and Haley."

"Those two are our role models," Bevin said grinning, all the nervousness gone from her voice.

"Um, is everything okay in there? Or has Bevin jumped out of the window?" Brooke asked hesitantly through the door.

"Very funny you guys. Come on in, you don't have to eavesdrop anymore," Bevin shouted teasingly.

"Bevin, you're back to normal!" Brooke exclaimed happily as she and Rachel burst through the door and puller Bevin into a big hug.

"Um guys, my dress," Bevin choked out, "I really don't want to walk down the altar with a ripped or dirty dress."

"Sorry, sorry," Brooke said apologetically pulling away, "So the wedding's still on?"

"Thanks to Peyton, it's definitely on," Bevin said sending Peyton a small smile of gratitude.

"You're welcome," Peyton whispered, smiling back.

"I knew you could do it P. Sawyer," Brooke said lightly squeezing Peyton's hand as she came to stand next to her best friend.

--

**1 ½ hour later in the Groom's dressing room**

"Skills you ready? We're supposed to be downstairs in 15 minutes," Lucas called out as he and Nathan walked inside the groom's dressing room to see Skills gazing at his reflection in the mirror.

"Do you think I am good looking?" Skills asked contemplatively completely disregarding Lucas's question.

"Dude did you just ask us if you were good looking?" Nathan asked incredulously.

"So? What's wrong with wanting an opinion?" Skill asked defensively.

"Um nothing except for the fact that I am man. I don't swing that way," Nathan said trying to control his laughter.

"And why in the world do you suddenly want to know if you're good looking or not?" Lucas asked once he had regained the ability to speak.

"No reason," Skills said dismissively.

"Oh I get it, you're starting to get the pre-wedding nerves aren't you? And you're starting to wonder if you're pretty enough for Bevin," Nathan asked grinning knowingly.

"Damn you're good. How in the world did you figure that out?" Skills said looking at his friend in awe.

"Dude you're not the first one getting married here," Nathan said simply.

"So this is normal? The nerves, the self doubt and the hesitation?" Skills asked quietly.

"It's natural to feel nervous, this is a big step in your life, and you're allowed to have a couple of second thoughts. But I promise you, once you'll see Bevin walk down that aisle, all your hesitation and doubts will vanish into thin air, and the only thing in you head at that time would be the endless love you feel for the woman you're about to pledge your life to," Nathan said wisely, a distant look in his eyes as he remembered his and Haley's wedding.

"That was deep dawg, that was real deep," Skills said in admiration, "What about you Luke? Did you get nervous before you got married to Lindsay?"

"I did. I was doubting my decision till the very end and it only intensified when I saw Lindsay walk down that aisle," Lucas said honestly, knowing that Nathan would see right through him if he tried lying.

"Well that's not surprising," Skills said shrugging.

"What do you mean that it's not surprising?" Lucas asked.

"Well the fact that your hesitation increased when you saw Lindsay walk down that aisle, can only mean one thing, and that was that you didn't love her enough. But then, you already know that," Skills said seriously.

"I love Lindsay, that's why I married her," Lucas insisted angrily.

"I am not saying that you don't love Lindsay, because you do. You just don't love her enough, you don't love her like you love Peyton, and that makes all the difference. And as for why you married her, I think it had more to do with the fact that you were afraid of your future with Peyton than the love you felt for Lindsay," Skills observed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lucas said stubbornly.

"Then you're just blind, because everyone else can see it as clear as day," Nathan said shaking his head at his brother's denial.

But before Lucas had the chance to retaliate, the door to the dressing room opened once again, and Mouth walked in.

"Alright guys, it's time," Mouth said excitedly, "You ready to rock and roll Skills?"

"You bet I am," Skills said smiling as he fixed his bow tie one last time.

"Come on man, let's get you married," Nathan said, patting Skills on the back as the 4 guys made their way downstairs.

--

"Okay so let's go over the plan one more time," Brooke said as everyone gathered in the hall way leading to the main hall of the church.

"Skills, Nathan, Mouth, Rachel, Haley and me are going to go to the back door that lead to the altar and take our places in about 3 minutes. Then 5 minutes later, the music is going to start playing and that's Lucas and Peyton's signal. You're going to walk hand in hand down the aisle and meet us at the altar. Next, it's Jamie's turn. Once you see that Lucas and Peyton have taken their place at the altar, you're going to walk in with the rings, give then to Lucas and walk back to your seat. And then it's going to be Allison followed by Bevin and Mr. Mirskey," Brooke ranted, "Is everything clear? Any questions?"

"Where are Peyton and Allison?" Lucas asked looking around the small group.

"Peyton was fixing Allison's tiara when we came downstairs, she should be—Oh, there she is," Brooke said, pointing towards the staircase from which Allison and Peyton were descending.

Lucas turned his gaze towards where Brooke was pointing, and couldn't help but let out a small gasp as his eyes found Peyton. She looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a strapless royal blue floor length dress that fit her every curve as if someone had molded it to her body. The dress flared a little when it touched the floor, and had she not been wearing those 5 inch heels, it would have been coming under her feet. She was wearing simple but elegant diamond earrings, and that was the only jewelry she had on. Her hair were done in light curls that flowed with easy grace below her shoulders. Looking at her at that moment, Lucas thought he had never seen anything more beautiful before.

He was brought out his reverie by a sharp pinch on his left arm.

"Oww what the hell did you do that for Nathan?" Lucas asked angrily turning towards his brother.

"You were gaping at her. I had to bring you out of your la la land before someone else noticed," Nathan said rolling his eyes.

But before Lucas could say something back, he heard a muffled 'daddy' and felt a pair of tiny arms encircling his legs.

Looking down, his face lit up as he saw his daughter gazing up at him with the brightest smile he had ever seen.

"Hey Princess," Lucas said softly bending down so he was at eye level with Allison, "You look gorgeous. Just like a real princess."

"You like it?" Allison asked enthusiastically, "Mommy said you'll love it. And do you like my crown? Aunt Brooke especially ordered it for me, she said that a princess dress isn't complete without a tiara."

"Woah, woah, slow down there buddy. As for your question, I don't just like your dress, I love it, and the crown just makes my little girl look even more beautiful," Lucas said softly as he placed a soft kiss on Allison's forehead.

"Um I don't want to interrupt the father-daughter moment, but we really should get moving guys," Mouth said sheepishly.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Everyone except for Peyton, Lucas, Allison and Jamie, make your way towards the back door. As for Lucas and Peyton just—"

"Wait for the music," Lucas and Peyton simultaneously completed her sentence.

"You've told us that a million today. Calm down, we'll be fine. I promise," Peyton said comfortingly.

"I am sorry, I just want everything to go perfectly," Brooke said apologetically as the rest of the group made their way to the back door.

"I know, and it will. You just take a deep breath and look pretty for Julian at the top of the altar," Peyton said teasingly as Brooke just shook her head and followed the rest of the group.

"Brooke is dating Julian?" Lucas asked incredulously once Brooke had disappeared.

"I don't know if they're officially dating or not, but there's definitely something going on between them. Rachel and I actually have a wager going on as to when they'll get together," Peyton said casually, trying not to notice how good Lucas looked in his tux.

"When do you think they'll get together?" Lucas asked casually.

"I wagered for last night, and Rachel wagered for today. We'll have to corner Brooke later on to find out if either of us won or not," Peyton said smirking.

"Never thought you were the betting kind Sawyer," Lucas said teasingly.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Scott," Peyton shot back playfully as the two burst out laughing.

"Wait are you guys talking about Aunt Brooke's kissing buddy?" Allison asked quietly.

"Kissing buddy? Honey where did you get that from?" Peyton asked shocked.

"Well I saw them kissing once, and Jamie told me that people who kiss each other are kissing buddies," Allison explained.

"Okay one, there is no such things as kissing buddies, and two, I don't want to hear you say that ever again, okay?" Peyton asked sternly.

"And Jamie, I don't want you saying expressions like kissing buddy in front of Natalie and Allison, okay?" Lucas asked his god son.

"Yea," Jamie mumbled.

"That's my boy," Lucas said appreciatively.

"Where do these kids come up with expressions like kissing buddies?" Peyton whispered softly so only Lucas could hear.

"I don't know. But you've got to admit, it's kind of funny," Lucas said trying to conceal a grin.

"Kissing buddies?!? I have got to tell Brooke about this," Peyton said shaking her head, making her curls bounce up and down her shoulders, making her look even more gorgeous to Lucas.

However, Lucas didn't get much time to admire the woman in front of him, because a couple of seconds later, the wedding music started to drift through the door.

"That's our cue," Peyton said awkwardly.

"Yup. Let's go before Brooke starts freaking out," Lucas said as he crooked his arm so that Peyton could slip his arm between his.

"Ready?" Lucas asked once Peyton had latched her arm in his.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Peyton said softly trying not to concentrate on the lack of distance between their bodies.

"Alright, here goes nothing," Lucas muttered softly as he and Peyton approached the entrance of the main hall of the church.

"I am really nervous," Peyton admitted as they entered in the crowded room to feel all eyes on them.

"Don't look around. Look straight ahead, and pretend it's only you and me," Lucas advised, unconsciously pulling Peyton more towards him.

"Your wife is glaring at me," Peyton said after a couple of seconds, wondering how long the aisle had suddenly turned into.

"I said don't look around. It's just you and me remember? And anyways, we're almost there," Lucas said with a hint of regret in his voice. He wanted this aisle to go one forever, because he knew that when it would come to an end, he and Peyton would go their separate ways. Skills words for earlier replayed in his mind, and for the first time, he let himself wonder about what would have happened if he had not married Lindsay. Would he have married Peyton? Would he been walking down the aisle with his wife rather than an ex-girlfriend?

His thoughts were cut short when his feet hit the stairs leading to the altar, and he regretfully let go of Peyton's arm as he went to stand next to Skills and Peyton next to Brooke.

--

It wasn't long after Lucas and Peyton had made it to the altar that Bevin had joined them, and after a couple of minutes, it was finally time for the vows. Lucas was very interested to see what Skills vows were because he had been especially secretive about them.

Lucas watched enviously as the soon to be married couple loved at each other with such love filled eyes that it looked like nothing but the two existed in this world.

Lucas hadn't felt that way for such a long time that he had almost forgotten how it feels to be so in love, that just one look in your lover's eyes is enough to make everything else disappear around you and make your heart beat a 100 miles/hour in your chest.

Lucas was brought out of his depressing thoughts as the minister's voice filled his ears.

"Antwon and Bevin have something special to say to each other today, so for the first time, I will listen to what these two lovers have to say to each other, rather than saying my regular wedding vows," the Minister said, smiling at the young couple on front of him, "Antwon."

"I, Antwon Taylor take you Bevin Mirskey to be my wife today. In front of our friends and family gathered here I promise to love and cherish you throughout the good times and bad times. I promise to try to remember to put my dirty clothes in the hamper and to replace the toilet paper roll when it's empty. I promise to remember this day with love and roses. But most importantly, I promise to love you forever, because when I am with you, even forever seems like a short time. You are my partner, my lover, my very best friend. My heart, _my heart_, beats for you. And on this day, the day of our wedding, I promise you this: I promise to give you my heart till the end of time. I love you babez."

I, Bevin Mirskey take you Antwon Taylor to be my husband today in front of all our friends and family. Standing here today, I promise to love and cherish you through every obstacle that may come into our path. I promise to learn how to check the oil in my car and how to roll up a garden hose. I promise to remember to make your favorite fruit smoothies on Sundays. I promise to comfort you when your team loses and drink beer with you when they win. And most importantly, I promise you my heart, and I never want it back because you mean everything to me Skills and in Peyton's words, you're it for me, my Mr. Right. Because of you, I laugh, I smile, and I look forward to our new life together with great hope, because as long as you're next to me, I know we'll make it forever. I love you."

"Wow that was truly beautiful and extremely inspirational. It's always amazing to see two young people so in love like you two obviously are," the Minister said softly.

"So, Antwon Taylor, now I ask you this: Do you take Bevin Mirskey as your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health, in good times and bad times, until death do you part?"

"I do," Skills said without a second's hesitation, smiling at his soon to be wife, who was beaming at him, her face alight with happiness.

"And do you, Bevin Mirskey, take Antwon Taylor as your lawfully wedded husband in sickness and health, in good times and bad times, till death do you part?"

"I do," Bevin said softly, squeezing Skills hand beneath hers.

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the Minister said, and the words had barely left his mouth when Skills swooped down and caught his new wife's lips in a soft kiss as the whole hall burst into euphoric applause.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I now present you Mr. and Mrs. Antwon Taylor," the Minister announced once the newly married couple had pulled apart.

As Lucas and Peyton looked at the happy couple in front of them, they couldn't help but feel a pit of regret settle in their stomach. Because no matter what they told themselves or to the world, deep inside both wished that today was their day instead of Skills and Bevin's.

--

**½ an hour later at the Reception**

"Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Skills Taylor," Mouth announced as Skills and Bevin walked inside the ballroom to roaring applause and standing ovation.

"Congrats man," Nathan and Lucas said as they pulled Skills for a brotherly hug while the girls crowded around Bevin.

"Thanks man," Skills said appreciatively.

"And that speech was amazing, I didn't know you had it in you man," Lucas said honestly.

"You know me, Luke. I like to surprise people," Skills said laughing, "And anyways your skills as a speech maker are soon to be tested. Are you ready?"

"I am an author. I am born to give speeches, of course I am ready," Lucas said grinning.

"Alright then, let me go and rescue my wife from the clutches of the ladies over there, and we'll be ready for your oh-so-brilliant speech," Skills said winking as he headed towards where all the girls were standing.

"Ladies and gents can I have your attention please?" Mouth asked as he approached the podium with his cordless microphone, "If you can all please return to you seats, we'd like to begin with the speeches."

After a couple of minutes once the audience and the bride and groom had taken their seats, Mouth started once again

"We only have two speeches tonight. One by the best man, Lucas Scott, best seller author of The Unkindness of the Raven, Skills asked to put that Luke so don't kill me," Mouth said grinning as Lucas shot him and Skills a glare, "and the other one by the maid of honor, Peyton Sawyer. So whenever you're ready Luke, the floor's all yours."

Sighing slightly, Lucas got up from his seat, and walked towards the podium.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. For those that don't already know me, my name is Lucas, and I would like to start by thanking you all for being a part of this very special day in behalf of the bride, groom and their families. As you can already tell by now, I am Skills' best man and a very old friend. Skills and I have known each other since we were seven years old, and I can't believe how fast time has gone by since we were little kids playing basketball at the river court. Skills you are an amazing guy, and I am so glad to call you my friend. It takes a strong and intelligent man to realize his dreams and achieve his goals in life and love. A man that is not afraid to live life to its fullest and embrace what is truly important. And that's exactly the kind of guy Skills is. But then we can't let him get all the credit for the success of this relationship can we? Because relationships work both way, and Bevin has definitely done her part. These two have been together for 8 years, and you have got to trust me when I say this Bevin, I have never seen Skills more seen happier than he is when he is with you. The love that exists between Bevin and Skills is something we don't see much often, and when we do, it's hard to take our eyes away from the sheer beauty of it. As I stand here in front of you today, I guess all I have to say is that I wish you guys all the best of luck and all the happiness for your marriage, because you guys definitely deserve all of it. I would like to end my toast with a quote by Aristotle that I think define the relationship between Skills and Bevin perfectly, _Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. _With that said, I would like the audience to raise their glasses for a toast to Skills and Bevin and to their bright future as a married couple. Thank you," Lucas finished, finding Skills eyes in the crowd as he brought his champagne glass to his lips.

"And that ladies and gentlemen was Lucas Scott, and I can tell by the expressions around me that his speech has lived up to its hype. With that note, I'd like to introduce our next and final speaker of the night, Peyton Sawyer . The perfect maid of honor, Brooke asked me to add the last bit," Mouth said chuckling as he handed the microphone to Peyton who just smiled back, her nervousness reflecting in her green eyes.

"Hey," Peyton started shakily, trying to stabilize her tingling nerves, "I would like to start by thanking Lucas for his amazing speech, and by warning all of you guys that I absolutely suck when it comes to public speaking, so my speech will probably suck compared to Lucas but I'll give it my best shot. For those of you who know me, you probably know that I am the last person on earth who should be giving romantic advice. I mean not only is my love life completely screwed up, but as my best friend predicts, I will probably end up as an old maid, so me standing here giving a speech about love and marriage is really ironic. But this speech isn't about me, it's about those two people who have just given each other their hearts an hour ago, those two people who have given a lot of us hope today that true love might exist. I remember the first time when we found out that Skills and Bevin were dating in our senior year of high school. To say that the announcement came as a shock would be the biggest understatement of the year. At that time, nobody expected them to make it; in fact, pools were going around as to when these two would break up. And look at them today, 8 years later, they're married against all the odds against them. This is what true love is. It doesn't mean that they haven't had issues because every couple will have their ups and their downs; it's inevitable, and they're bound to have their differences. But in the end, all these conflicts did was make these two stronger and closer than they were ever before. I love you both will all my heart, and I wish you all the happiness in the world. And Bevin I have said it before, and I'll say it again, you look absolutely gorgeous today, and that's why I'm going to ignore the fact that Skills was drooling over you throughout my whole speech instead of listening to me," Peyton said smiling as the hall burst into laughter and Skill turned pink, "So you can you all please raise your glasses one more time for the Bride and groom and to their eternal happiness! I am going to end this speech with a quote that Brooke wanted me to use, _There are six million people in this __world. Six billion souls. And sometimes -- all you need is one_."

Peyton closed the microphone and quietly put in back on the podium and walked back to her seat to thundering applaud and a standing ovation.

"Wow P. Sawyer, you completely rocked that," Brooke said in awe.

"I try," Peyton said smiling in relief.

"Wow that was definitely something Peyton. I gotta say Luke, you take second place this time," Mouth said jokingly as he took his place at the podium again, "So now that we're done with the speeches, it's finally time for Skills and Bevin to share their first dance as a married couple. Come on guys, the dance floor is waiting."

Laughing, Skills and Bevin made their way to the middle of the empty dance floor, and the hall's lights dimmed and a spot light found the couple.

"DJs set, and Peyton and Lucas will join the couple on the dance floor shortly," Mouth announced as he turned off the microphone and went back to his seat to enjoy the rest of the night.

Sure enough, a minute later, soft music started playing as Skills pulled Bevin towards him.

_When you have to look away  
When you don't have much to say  
That's when I love you  
I love you, just that way_

"You ready Peyton?" Brooke whispered as she saw Lucas getting up from his seat to approach Peyton.

"I am fine. I have come so far haven't I? I am pretty sure I'll be able to handle this," Peyton said confidently, feeling the familiar butterflies in her stomach as she saw Lucas coming towards her.

"May I have this dance," Lucas asked quietly, extending his hand once he was directly in front of Peyton.

"You may," Peyton said softly as she placed her hand into his large one allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.

_To hear you stumble when you speak  
Or see you walk with two left feet  
That's when I love you  
I love you, endlessly_

Lucas felt Peyton stiffen slightly as he placed his hand on his waist, but gradually her body relaxed and she hesitantly placed a shaking hand on his shoulder as they slowly revolved around the spot, both basking in the warmth of just being so close to each other.

"I am sorry," Lucas said quietly breaking the comfortable silence.

"About what?" Peyton asked questioningly looking up to meet his eyes.

"About yesterday. About pushing you beyond your limit so much so that you had to consider moving away," Lucas said softly, looking anywhere but at Peyton.

"Luke—"

"No, let me finish Peyton. I understand that I was pushing your boundaries, but you can't move away. Please, I can't live without seeing Allison everyday. I just came into her life Peyton, I don't want to miss any more time with her. If you want, I'll completely stop bringing up anything….mmphh," Lucas stopped as he felt Peyton's small hand cover his mouth.

"Sorry, but you were rambling," Peyton explained sheepishly, hastily pulling her hand away from his mouth, "Luke you don't have anything to be sorry for. I completely overreacted yesterday. I was having a bad day and I just took my frustration on you when I had no right to."

_And when your mad cuz you lost a game  
Forget I'm waiting in the rain  
Baby I love you,  
I love you anyway_

"What does this mean Peyton?" Lucas asked, looking at her with earnest eyes that seemed to touch her soul.

"I am not going anywhere Lucas. Yeah it's been hard for me to have you around all the time, but I am not going to take Allison away from you. I can't. Not when you're such a big part of her life. She can't live without her daddy Luke," Peyton said softly.

"I can't live without her either," Lucas said honestly, "So you're staying?"

"I am staying," Peyton confirmed.

"Good, now I won't have to resort to manhandling you to prevent you from going," Lucas said jokingly.

"Lucas Scott manhandling a woman? Never thought I'd see the day," Peyton joked back, marveling at how easy it was to talk to him.

"You have no idea what lengths I would go to to be a part of Allison's life," Lucas said seriously, "But yeah I guess you're right, it wouldn't have come to manhandling. You would have crumbled from the emotional blackmail me and Allison would have thrown at you."

_Here's my promise made tonight  
You can count on me for life  
That's when I love you  
When nothing you do can change my mind_

"Are you saying that you would have turned my daughter against me?" Peyton asked in mock horror.

"Only for a small time," Lucas said mischievously.

"Let's make a promise tonight," Peyton said, an idea popping in her head as she listened to the song lyrics they were currently dancing to.

"Okay, about what?" Lucas asked intrigued.

"I'll promise that I'll never take Allison away from you, and you will stop bringing up our past into everything," Peyton proposed.

"Hmm…that sounds reasonable. I think I can live with that," Lucas agreed.

"So promise?" Peyton asked looking at him straight in the eye.

"Promise," Lucas confirmed, squeezing her hand softly sending her nerves tingling all over her body.

_So when you turn to hide your eyes  
Cause the movie it made you cry  
That's when I love you  
I love you a little more each time_

"So Lucas have you seen 'A walk to remember' lately?" Peyton asked teasingly after a couple of seconds.

"I just watched that movie once, and that was with you," Lucas said, a slight blush forming on his cheeks as he realized what Peyton was referring to.

"Aww, so you're telling me Lindsay hasn't seen you crying?" Peyton asked evilly.

"I wasn't crying Peyton. Something went in my eye as that's why my eyes were all watery," Lucas defended feebly.

"Of course, something went in your eyes and that's why your nose was all red," Peyton said sarcastically, "Admit it Lucas, that movie made you cry."

"I did not cry. I am a man, and men don't cry," Lucas said stubbornly.

"Fine then I guess you won't mind if I show Lindsay the picture I took of you that night. You know the one with the watery eyes and the red nose, and ask her opinion about it," Peyton said with a teasing grin.

_And when you cant quite match your clothes  
Or when you laugh at your own jokes  
That's when I love you  
I love you, more than you'll know_

"Don't you dare Peyton Sawyer. You promised me that you would burn that picture," Lucas said embarrassedly, "Don't tell me you still have it?"

"Actually I do. Allison found it in the attic last year and begged me if she could keep it. That's her favorite picture of you, she used it to prove to Jamie than men do indeed cry," Peyton said innocently.

"Unbelievable. My reputation has gone down the hole and you seem to be enjoying it," Lucas said traumatically.

"Oh grow up you big baby," Peyton chided, "Crying doesn't make you any less manly. In fact, most girls find soft guys quiet charming."

"And will you be one of those girls Ms. Sawyer?" Lucas asked playfully.

"What do you think?" Peyton said softly.

"I honestly don't know. You're a very different person now then you were back then. Sorry, if that comes in bringing up the past, I didn't mean to do it," Lucas said hurriedly.

"It's okay. I started this conversation in the first place. And you're right, my life has changed so much that I don't even know who I am anymore."

_And when you forget that we had a date  
Or that look that you get when you show up late  
Baby I love you, I love you anyway  
Here's my promise made tonight  
You can count on me for life  
That's when I love you_

"You're a great mom, and I think that is a big part of who you are," Lucas said seriously.

"I don't want to fail her. I don't want to fail her like life has failed me," Peyton said vulnerably.

"Peyton you need to have some faith and self confidence in yourself. You're an awesome mother. Allison loves you more than anything else in the world. You have got to keep telling yourself that," Lucas insisted.

"Honestly, I am starting to feel second best to you these days," Peyton admitted, "She seems to love you more than she loves me."

"Is that what you think?" Lucas asked incredulously, "That you're starting to take second place in Allison's life?"

"She's all I have Lucas. I need her to want me, to depend on me. She's my life," Peyton said tearfully.

_When nothing you do can change my mind  
The more I learn, The more I love  
The more my heart cant get enough  
That's when I love you,  
When I love you no matter what_

"She does need you Peyton. She needs you more than she needs anyone, even me. Let me tell you something, she might want to spend more time with me, but if she doesn't see you for more than two hours, she starts freaking out. You're her mother, Peyton and no one can take your place in her life. No one," Lucas said firmly.

"You mean it?" Peyton asked softly.

"I do," Lucas affirmed looking tenderly at the broken woman in front of him.

"Thank you," Peyton whispered after a couple of seconds, "I really needed that as a moral booster."

"I am here whenever you need me," Lucas said sincerely.

_That's when I love you  
When nothing baby  
Nothing you do could change my mind_

As Lucas realized that the song was coming to an end, he decided to voice the one thing that had been running through his head from the second he saw Peyton descend those stairs.

"Hey Peyton?" Lucas asked quietly.

"Hmmm?" Peyton inquired looking up once more to meet Lucas' eyes.

"You look very beautiful today," Lucas said sincerely.

"Thanks," Peyton said blushing lightly, the intensity of his gaze sending shivers up her spine.

"You're welcome," Lucas said softly, loving the reaction he was getting from her.

_The more I learn, The more I love  
The more my heart cant get enough  
Thats when I love you,  
When I love you no matter what  
No matter what_

As the song ended, Peyton slowly pulled out of Lucas's embrace, but before she walked away, she looked at him and said, "That royal blue tie really brings out the color of your eyes."

And with that she was gone, leaving a smiling Lucas behind.

--

**1 hour later**

"Brooke can we talk to you?" Rachel asked, and without waiting for an answer she all but dragged her to the drinks table which was currently vacant.

"Rachel what the hell was that for?" Brooke asked angrily, "I was talking to—"

"Yeah we know you were talking to lover boy. You've been talking to him for the past hour or so, and as your trusted and loyal friends, we felt the need to intervene and so we did," Rachel said seriously.

"Trusted and loyal? Yeah. Right. I can expect something like this from Rachel, but I can't believe you would play along with this Peyton," Brooke said pointing accusingly to her best friend.

"Honey you've been talking to Julian for the past hour. I think you guys have seen enough of each other for the day. And anyways, where there's money involved I would rather go with the flow," Peyton said smirking.

"Money? What does money have to do with anything?" Brooke asked confused.

"Brooke, we're going to ask you a question and you have to promise to answer it honestly," Rachel said ignoring Brooke's question.

"Question? What kind—"

"Just promise," Rachel said rather severely.

"Alright fine. Promise," Brooke relented rolling her eyes.

"Are you and Julian going out?" Peyton asked.

"What? That's none of your business," Brooke said blushing.

"You promised you will answer the question honestly," Rachel reminded her.

"And what's all this secrecy about. We're all for you and Julian, it's not like we're going to go after him with an axe chopping his head off because he is dating you," Peyton said sarcastically.

"Yeah seriously, we don't want to ruin his good looks. Now that would be a tragedy," Rachel said sighing.

"Not helping Rachel," Peyton gritted out.

"Oh right, sorry. So, you were saying Brooke?" Rachel asked, turning towards Brooke.

"Okay so we're dating. Now that you both know, can I start living my life in peace?" Brooke asked teasingly.

"Only after you answer one more question," Peyton said quickly.

"Peyton," Brooke groaned.

"When?" Rachel asked.

"When what?" Brooke asked confused.

"When did you guys get together? Today or last night?" Rachel probed.

"Um today. He just asked me—" But the rest of her words were drowned out as Rachel let out a victorious shout.

"Ha! I knew it! I knew it! I won Sawyer. Hand over the 20," Rachel said gloatingly as Peyton looked sourly at her best friend.

"He couldn't have asked you last night?" Peyton muttered.

"You guys were betting as to when we would get together?" Brooke asked stunned.

"It was just a fun thing Brooke. Nothing serious, I promise," Peyton said trying to explain the situation to a gaping Brooke.

"The 20 Peyton," Rachel said in a sing song voice.

"I know, I know," Peyton grumbled as she reached for her handbag.

However, she had just taken out her wallet when Jamie came running in the hall screaming her name.

"Aunt Peyton! Aunt Peyton! Where are you?" Jamie screamed, his frantic eyes searching all over the hall.

"Jamie, what's wrong?" Haley asked rushing forwards, concerned by the panicked look on her son's face.

"Aunt Peyton. Where's Aunt Peyton?" Jamie asked panting still looking all around the crown for Peyton's face.

"I am right here Jamie. What happened?" Peyton said as she made her way through the crowd so she was standing directly in front of him.

"Aunt Peyton. Aunt—Peyton, you've—you've got to come outside," Jamie choked out, the panic in his voice reaching a new intensity.

"Why? Why Jamie? What happened?" Peyton asked her heart thudding in her chest.

"All- Allison. It's Allison," Jamie said urgently.

"Allison? Jamie what happened to Allison? Jamie? What happened?" Peyton asked urgently, panic rising in her throat like bile.

"She- she got hi—hit by a car," Jamie gasped out tearfully and Peyton felt her heart stop beating at his words.

* * *

**A/N: **DUN! DUN! DUN! So, what do you guys think? Its evil, I know. But this is the MOST important story line of this fic. This is the story line I've known about even before I started writing this story!

Anyways, tell me what you thought about it. What your reaction was? Feel free to hate me for this, but you will love where I am going with this, I promise.

I am not writing a lengthy A/N for this because this chapter pretty much speaks for itself (and I seriously hope I didn't screw the wedding part)!

Also, thank you so much for the overwhelming response for last chapter! 51 reviews, you guys were amazing and so were your songs, and even though I didn't use them in this chapter, I can promise you that **Far Away **by Nickelback and **Wait for love** by Matt White will be used in future chapters! You all seriously rock! I love you all =]

So with that said, I hope you guys liked the chapter, and please, please **REVIEW! **(Can I get 50 for this chapter? Puhleez)

P.S 18 chapters—100,000+ words! Unbelievable! And it's all thanks to you guys and your incredible support for this story! Thank you so, so much!


	19. Blames, Comfort & Reality

Chapter 19: Blames, comfort & reality

_Last Chapter:_

"_All- Allison. It's Allison," Jamie said urgently._

"_Allison? Jamie what happened to Allison? Jamie? What happened?" Peyton asked urgently, panic rising in her throat like bile._

"_She- she got hi—hit by a car," Jamie gasped out tearfully and Peyton felt her heart stop beating at his words._

_

* * *

_

"What? She got hit by a car?" Lucas asked stunned as he made his way to stand in front of his nephew.

"Yeah," Jamie nodded tearfully, "We were sitting on the steps outside, and suddenly her tiara flew off her hair. She wanted to go after it, and I told her it was dangerous. But she didn't listen to me, and she was in the middle of the road when she saw a car coming towards her at top speed. She got confused, and the car hit her."

But Lucas and Peyton didn't wait for the whole explanation. The second Jamie had confirmed Lucas' question, they had made a dash closely followed to Brooke, Dan and Karen.

Lucas and Peyton ran as fast as they could towards the entrance, both of them thinking that they were trapped in some horrendous nightmare that they couldn't wake up from. This couldn't be happening to their daughter.

As they stepped outside, they stopped short as the sight of the small crowd gathered around what they could presume to be their daughter.

Peyton stifled a cry as Lucas grasped her hand in his own as the two slowly walked towards the crowd, their hearts thumping in their chest, both dreading to see how bad things really were.

"Excuse us, excuse us, that's our daughter. Move out of the way please," Lucas choked out as the crowd dispersed to let the anguished parents through.

Once the crowd had separated, Lucas and Peyton could easily see the broken body of their daughter lying on the road, her face covered with blood and her hands looking seemingly lifeless.

Peyton let out a cry of horror as she snatched her hand out of Lucas and stumbled to where her daughter was lying, tears of anguish pouring down her eyes as she took in the sight of Allison's bloody face.

Lucas felt his vision becoming blurry as he watched Peyton kneel down next to their unconscious daughter, taking her hands in her own and begging her to open her eyes. He couldn't believe that his daughter, his Allison, the little girl he was dancing with 20 minutes ago was lying in the middle of the street apparently lifeless.

He was brought of his agonizing thoughts when Peyton screamed out, "Did anyone call 911? Did anyone call 911?"

When no one responded, she screamed tearfully, "You guys have been standing out here for 5 minutes and none of you had the courtesy to call 911. Someone call 911, please, someone call 911!"

Peyton's distressed tone was enough to bring Lucas out of his stupor as he quickly walked towards where Peyton was kneeling beside their daughter.

He carefully placed a hand on her shoulder as he too kneeled down next to her, his eyes tearing up at the sight of Allison.

"Luke, Ally. Ally. This can't be happening Luke. This is our little daughter. This can't be happening to her," Peyton whispered tearfully leaning against Lucas' chest, as Lucas leaned forwards and gently stroked Allison's bloody forehead.

"Brooke is calling 911 Peyton. They're going to here soon. Nothing is going to happen to our daughter. Nothing," Lucas breathed out, praying with all his might that he was right.

Brooke on the other hand, wasn't having much success explaining the situation to the 911 dispatcher. Her hands were shaking violently and her voice was so choked with tears that she couldn't get anything other than goddaughter and accident out.

"Hello maam, I would like you to tell us where you are?" The responder asked calmly.

"Wedding—my-my god-goddaughter ac-acc-accident—" Brooke choked out, unable to get the sight of Allison lying on the road out of her head.

"Brooke, give me the phone," A gruff voice said from behind, as she felt someone take the phone from her shaking hands, as another smaller hand put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Brooke turned around to see that Dan had taken the phone from her hand and Karen was the one who had put her hand on her shoulder, as a measure to comfort both of them.

"Hello officer, this is Dan Scott," Dan said once he had taken the phone from Brooke, "My granddaughter was hit by a car in front of Tree Hill country club about 5 minutes ago. We need an ambulance here immediately; she has already lost a lot of blood."

"Okay sir. An ambulance will be there in less than 5 minutes. But do you know who caused the accident?" The responder asked.

"No, it looks like a hit-and-run accident," Dan replied.

"Thank you Mr. Scott. We'll be sending a police car along with the ambulance. They're going to be there as soon as possible," The responder assured.

"Alright. Thanks," Dan replied distractedly, as he hung up the phone.

Soon enough 2 minutes sirens filled the calm evening air as an ambulance and a patrol car came into view.

"Luke, Peyton, you guys need to move. They need to transfer Al to the ambulance, so you guys need to get out of the way," Nathan said as he tried to get Lucas and Peyton to release the deathly tight hold they had on Allison's hands.

"No, no, I am not leaving her alone. I am not leaving my little baby alone. I am going with her," Peyton said with scared, frantic eyes as she turned around to look at Nathan.

"You don't have to leave her Peyton. Just let them transfer her into the ambulance, and then you can drive to the hospital with her. You just have to let go of her hand for a couple of seconds," Nathan coaxed as he saw Lucas relent his grip on Allison's hand. But Peyton on the hand just tightened her hold if that was possible.

"I can't Nate. I can't let her go. I am afraid that if I let go of her hand, I am going to lose her forever. I can't let her go," Peyton cried out looking at his friend/brother with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Peyt—" Lucas started hoarsely.

"It's okay," the ambulance dispatcher said in a kind voice, "You can hold her hand miss. It's okay. Your daughter is not going anywhere. She'll be right here with you, okay?"

"Okay," Peyton choked out as she felt herself being lifted from the ground by Nathan and Lucas as they lifted the stretcher they had placed Allison on and carried it towards the ambulance.

Lucas watched in slow motion as Allison was hauled into the ambulance, Peyton closely following behind. He made to move towards the ambulance, but was pulled back by another dispatcher.

"I am sorry sir. Only one person is allowed to ride in the ambulance with the patient."

"But—"

"It's okay Luke. We'll go in my car okay? We'll be right behind the ambulance. Let's go," Nathan said softly as he gently guided his brother to his car as the ambulance door closed.

The next 5 minutes felt like an eternity to Lucas, as Nathan battled the evening traffic towards the hospital. All he could think about was Allison and Peyton and how she would be feeling cooped up in that ambulance with their seriously injured daughter right beside her. He wanted to be there, he wanted to comfort her, to hug her and tell her that it was going to be okay even though he was just scared as her. And most importantly, he wanted to be there with her daughter, hold her hand and asking her to fight because he couldn't live without her that her mom couldn't live without her.

"Who's handling all the technical stuff? The paperwork and all?" Lucas asked suddenly.

"Don't worry Dan's taking care of all that stuff. He was already talking to the police when we left. They should be coming to the hospital soon," Brooke said softly from the backseat.

"I can't believe this you know," Lucas said bitterly after a couple of seconds.

"What?" Nathan asked turning towards his older brother.

"The fact that someone can just hit my daughter, and drive away as if nothing happened. What kind of a person does that? They could have killed her for all it's worth, and they don't feel the need to stop and face up to their actions. I don't believe it," Lucas said angrily, "But if I ever do find the person who did this, they're not going to live to see the next day, that's a promise."

"Luke calm down, I know what happened was horrible and unjust, but you need to be focusing more on your daughter than revenge right now," Nathan said softly as he turned to the lane leading to the hospital.

"I know, but it's just wrong," Lucas muttered, feeling his vision being clouded by tears once again as he pictured a bloody and battered Allison lying on the road.

"Brooke and Lucas why don't you get out here, while I park the car and meet with you inside?" Nathan proposed as he stopped the car in front of the main entrance of the hospital.

"Yeah okay," Brooke said as she and Lucas got out of the car and walked towards the entrance doors while Nathan drove towards the parking lot.

"They had just walked inside the hospital when they saw some sort of a commotion a couple of feet ahead. One look told Lucas that Peyton was involved.

Running forward, he saw Peyton protesting to something while a doctor tried explaining something to her.

"Peyt, Peyt what happened is everything okay?" Lucas asked urgently as he skidded to a halt in front of the distressed woman.

"They took her away Luke. They took her away from me," Peyton cried out, pointing towards the other end of the corridor, her hands and dress stained from Allison's blood.

"Sir, your daughter needed immediate surgery. We couldn't waste a lot of time, not when she is already in such a critical condition," the doctor tried to explain.

"It's okay Dr. Martinez," Lucas said reading his name off the name tag, "I'll handle it from here, thank you very much."

"Great. I also need a parent to fill the pre-surgery and medical history form before we can proceed any further," the doctor explained holding a packet of forms.

"Um doctor, why don't I fill these forms? I don't think either Lucas or Peyton are emotionally stable to fill all these," Brooke said coming forward.

"I am sorry miss, but only parents can fill these," Dr. Martinez insisted.

"She is the godmother," Peyton choked out, "I give her the permission to fill all those out."

"Well in that case, here you go miss," Dr. Martinez said handing the forms to Brooke showing her to the nearest conference room.

"Now Mr. um sorry I didn't catch your name," Dr. Martinez said apologetically as she came back to see Lucas holding tightly to Peyton who was crying softly against his chest.

"Lucas, Lucas Scott," Lucas informed.

"Mr. Scott why don't I escort you and your wife to the third floor waiting room. It's in the surgical ward so it will be much easier to approach either of you if we have any updates or concerns about your daughter," Dr. Martinez said kindly looking at the two distressed parents in front of him.

"Um, I am not—", Peyton began.

"Sure," Lucas firmly interrupted.

"Great let's go. The elevators are just round that way," Dr. Martinez said, "I told your friend to meet us up there once she was done as well."

"Great," Lucas said distractedly as he followed Dr. Martinez to the elevator, Peyton leaning heavily on him.

--

Within 15 minutes, the third floor waiting room was completely filled by all the friends and family of Lucas and Peyton.

Five minutes after Dr. Martinez had led Lucas and Peyton to the living room, Nathan, Haley, Karen, Skills and Bevin had came rushing in, closely followed by Rachel, Julian, Brooke and Mouth. If the situation hadn't been so serious, it would have seemed that they had just continued the wedding in the hospital.

"Skills, Bevin aren't you guys going to be late for your flight?" Lucas asked realizing that the newly wed couple had to leave for their honeymoon.

"We canceled our flight," Skills said.

"What? Why would you do that?" Peyton asked speaking for the first time.

"We aren't leaving until we know for sure that Al is going to be okay," Skills explained firmly.

"Skills you guys just got married. You guys should go and enjoy your honeymoon," Peyton insisted.

"P. Sawyer do you seriously think we will enjoy ourselves while my favorite girl is lying in the hospital fighting for life and death? I don't think so. And anyways, we can go a couple of days later once she is awake and stable," Skills said optimistically while Bevin nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you guys, it means a lot," Lucas said softly as Skills pulled him and Peyton in a comforting hug.

"We're here dawg. We're always going to be here," Skill said firmly softly kissing Peyton's head as he felt her tears on his tux.

"Mr. Scott?" One of the nurses asked arriving at the scene.

"Yes," Lucas asked pulling himself away from Skills and Peyton.

"We have a slight problem," the nurse said hesitantly as Peyton's head snapped up at her words.

"Problem? What problem? What happened? Is everything okay?" Peyton asked frantically as she felt another batch of tears arising.

"Your daughter has lost a lot of blood Mrs. Scott, and we don't have her blood type in our blood bank, at least not enough, so we need donors," the nurse explained, "Her blood type is O positive. Are you or your husband or anyone here a match?"

"He's not my husband," Peyton explained weakly as she ran a tired hand through her face, "And I am not a match."

"I am. I am O positive," Lucas said coming forward.

"So am I," Dan seconded.

"Great, will you guys please follow me to the exam room so I can draw your blood? We need as much as we can get," the nurse said as she pointed Lucas and Dan to the other end of the corridor.

"Is that it? Anyone else O positive here?" the nurse asked one last time.

When everyone shook their head in the negative, she nodded slightly and turned to walk away but Peyton's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Will that be enough?" Peyton asked desperately, "Will Lucas and Dan's blood be enough to save her life?"

"It will be enough. Apart from this, we can also get some blood from the blood bank. But I am pretty sure it will be enough. It's going to be okay," the nurse said sympathetically as she took in Peyton's red, tears filled eyes and her distressed face. Her hands and dress were still stained with Allison's blood and her previously elegant curls now hung lifelessly around her face.

"Save my daughter, please. Just save my daughter," Peyton begged quietly, her eyes filled with pain and anguish.

"We'll do our best," the nurse promised, before she turned around and walked away leaving a broken Peyton behind.

--

"Why are you doing this?" Lucas asked quietly as he and Dan waited quietly in the exam room for the nurse to show up and take their blood.

"What do you mean?" Dan asked confused.

"This good guy act. Giving your blood to my daughter. Why are you doing it?" Lucas clarified.

"It's not an act Lucas. Not anymore. I know you don't believe me, and you haven't forgiven me. I know that. But I am not the same person anymore. And as to why I am doing this, it's because I love Allison just as much as you do. She's a very important person in my life, and I will do anything to protect her," Dan said sincerely and for some reason, Lucas was comforted by his words. It was a good feeling to know that you have people loving your daughter just as much as you do.

"Thank you," Lucas said quietly after a couple of seconds.

"You're welcome," Dan said simply as the nurse walked in the room, putting an end to the short conversation.

--

Almost ½ an hour later, Dan and Lucas were finally done, and as soon as the nurse told them to leave, Lucas made a bee line to the door wanting to go see Peyton and make sure she was okay.

When he arrived at the waiting area, he couldn't find Peyton anywhere, panicking, he turned towards Nathan who pointed to the window at the corner of the room.

"She's been standing over there since you left. She's been muttering non stop for the past ½ hour and she won't let anyone comfort her," Nathan explained.

"Right," Lucas said distressed as he turned around and walked towards where a shaking Peyton was standing.

"Peyton?" Lucas asked quietly trying to get her attention.

"It's all my fault. It's my fault that Allison is here," Peyton said in a trance, completely disregarding Lucas' presence.

"Peyton—"

"I am a horrible mother, a despicable mother. I wasn't responsible enough. I should have kept a closer eye on her. I should have taught her better. I should have—"

"Peyton you couldn't have prevented this. No one could have, this isn't your fault," Lucas said trying to reason with her.

"It is my fault Lucas, it is all my fault. How horrible of a mother am I that I wasn't even able to keep tabs on my daughter. If I was just a little more attentive to her rather than making bets with Rachel, this wouldn't have happened. I should have been there Lucas. I am her mother, I am supposed to protect her from harms way. I should have been there," Peyton said hysterically tears pouring down her face.

"Peyton there was nothing you could have done to prevent this. It was an accident, how were you supposed to know that this would have happened. Nobody had thought in their wildest dream that today was going to turn out like this. You're not a horrible mother Peyton, and this accident is _not_ your fault," Lucas said as he firmly turned Peyton towards him, wiping away her tears as he pulled her into a hug.

"I can't lose her Lucas. She's all I have got. She's the reason why I am alive. She's got to make it Lucas, because I don't think I can survive without her," Peyton cried soaking up Lucas' already blood stained shirt.

"She's going to make it Peyton. Our daughter is a fighter, she's not going to give up. She's way too strong for that. After all, look who she has for a mother," Lucas said strongly, his voice oozing with hope and determination.

"I hope you're right Luke. I hope you're right," Peyton said quietly, slumping deeper into Lucas' embrace wanting to be as close to him as possible. He was her lifeline right now, and she didn't think she could let him go just yet.

As if reading her thoughts, Lucas tightened his hold on her whispering, "I am right here Peyton. I am not going anywhere. We're in this together. You'll never have to be alone again."

Looking at the two wrapped into each other from the other end of the room, Dan couldn't help but think that it was time to give Lucas the reality check that might open his eyes to what he really wants once and for all.

--

15 minutes later, Peyton made to move out of Lucas' arms and he immediately released his hold on her looking down startled at the sudden movement.

"What's up?" Lucas asked concerned.

"I need to step outside for a couple of minutes. I need some fresh air," Peyton said hoarsely.

"Peyton, I don't—"

"I'll be okay Luke. I am just going to the courtyard on the main floor. I just need some fresh air to clear my mind and get away from this stuffy waiting room," Peyton explained, and when Lucas still didn't look convinced, she continued, "I am not going to do anything stupid, I promise. I'll be back in a couple of minutes, and I'll keep my phone on as well. I just need a little break."

"Fine. Just don't be too long okay?" Lucas relented.

"I won't. Call me immediately if you hear anything about Allison, promise?" Peyton asked.

"Promise," Lucas agreed.

Nodding, Peyton leaned up and feeling incredibly bold, pecked him lightly on the cheek.

"What was that for?" Lucas asked surprised.

"For being here with me at the lowest point of my life," Peyton said simply, and with that she turned around and walked away leaving a surprised Lucas behind.

--

Once Peyton had left, Lucas had slumped down against the nearest wall, and for the first time since the accident let the tears fall from his eyes. With Peyton gone, he didn't need to be strong for anymore, he was allowed to let his guard down for a little while. And he needed it. He needed to get those biting emotions out of him, he needed to get rid of the lump that had been clawing at his throat ever since he has seen his daughter lying bloody and battered on the road. He needed to get these overwhelming emotions out of his system, because he couldn't risk breaking down in front of Peyton. Not when she needed him to be strong for her and their daughter.

Everyone else around him, understanding that he needed to grieve alone, left him in his solitude, something he was eternally grateful for. He loved his family and friends, but he just needed some time to himself right now.

His solitude however was short lived because 5 minutes later the quiet around the waiting room was shattered by the highly aggravated voice of Lindsay who had just barged in the room with a furious look on her face.

"Lucas Scott where the hell are you?" She demanded looking around.

"What do you want Lindsay?" Lucas asked tiredly as he quickly dried up his tears and stood up to face his wife.

"What do I want? I want to know why you didn't bother calling me and telling me that you were in the hospital," Lindsay screeched.

"Okay one lower your voice, we're in the hospital. And second, you left early from the wedding, and calling you slipped by mind because of everything that was going on," Lucas explained. It was true, Lindsay had left the wedding early since she was to do some emergency editing, and with all that was happening, informing Lindsay had completely slipped his mind.

"Slipped your mind? How could calling your wife and telling her that you were in the hospital slipped your mind? I called your phone about 50 times and it was off. I tried everyone else's and still no answer. Then finally Skills picked up the phone and told me that you were in the hospital. Did you know how worried sick I was?" Lindsay asked angrily.

"Do you know why I am in the hospital Lindsay? Do you know why? No, then let me tell you. Allison was hit by a car. She was a victim of a hit and run accident. My daughter is hanging between life and death, so I am sorry that I forgot to call you because I was worried sick about the well being of my daughter. Did you know that Dan and I just donated two bottle of blood for her, because she had lost so much of it? You have no idea what I've gone through in the past hour," Lucas snapped bitterly.

"Luke I—"

"You what Lindsay? You what? You never think of anything but yourself? News flash, the world doesn't revolve around you. My daughter is fighting for her life in there, my life is crumbling in front of my eyes, and you can't understand it. I don't expect you to understand it, but you could have at least done the courtesy of finding out what had happened before you came barging in here shouting down the whole place," Lucas exclaimed furiously glaring at Lindsay who shrunk under his intense stare.

"Lucas I was just worried," Lindsay said softly.

"I know. I know you were worried. But I can't deal with this right now. Just leave, okay. Just go, and don't expect me home tonight. I'll be staying here," Lucas said resignedly, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the cold hospital wall.

"Luke—"

"Leave Lindsay, I don't want you here. Please, just go," Lucas almost begged.

Stunned, Lindsay watched as Lucas slid down the wall and put his head in his hands. Knowing that the matter was closed, she quietly turned around and walked out of the waiting room. And what Lucas didn't know at that point was that by walking out of that room, Lindsay was also walking our of his life forever.

* * *

**A/N:** I am so, so sorry for such a late update. I had finals ALL last week, and then I got this inspiration for a new Brooke/Julian fic, so I wrote the first chapter for that yesterday.

And I felt so horrible today, that when I came home after taking a 4 hour long practice SAT test, I just sat down on my computer and typed this whole thing in about 6 hours. It's not as long as the last two chapters, but it is so filled with emotional drama that it was just as much as a challenge to write this and pull it off than it is to write a 8,000 word chapter!

Also, in the original outline for this chapter, I had planned a VERY enlightening Lucas/Dan conversation that will finally open his eyes to what he really wants in life. It is an amazing conversation that will start the next chapter because it's really late my time and had I put the conversation in this chapter you would have to wait another day for the update.

I hope you guys liked the way I ended the chapter, seems like Lindsay has finally realized that their marriage is over! But this in not the divorce yet. The official divorce will be in either chapter 21 or 22, a chapter that I have been planning for so long, and one that will contain two major events, and both will put a smile on your face!

_Highlights for next chapter:_ Dan/ Lucas convo, the outcome of Allison's surgery, lots of more Leyton scenes, and an ending that will…. (well I can't spoil that now can I?)

But don't worry, now that I am done with the finals, the next chapter would be posted very soon within the next 3 days hopefully. So, I keep my end of the bargain, and you guys review telling me what you thought about this chapter!

Finally, I would like to thank all of the awesome reviews for last chapter! 42 reviews! Thank you so, so much! You guys are spoiling me. In total, I have gotten 93 reviews for the last 2 chapters, so I have high hopes for this chapter!

With all that out of the way, I hope you liked the chapter, and please, please, **REVIEW! **(Because the more reviews I get, the more I will be encouraged to post the next ASAP!)


	20. One step closer

Chapter 20: One step closer

_Last chapter:_

"_Leave Lindsay, I don't want you here. Please, just go," Lucas almost begged._

_Stunned, Lindsay watched as Lucas slid down the wall and put his head in his hands. Knowing that the matter was closed, she quietly turned around and walked out of the waiting room. And what Lucas didn't know at that point was that by walking out of that room, Lindsay was also walking our of his life forever._

_

* * *

  
_

_I found God on the corner of 1st and Amistad  
Where the West was all but won  
All alone, smoking his last cigarette  
I said, "Where've you been?" He said, "Ask anything."_

"Luke where are you going?" Karen asked startled as she saw Lucas get up and walk towards the elevator.

"I am going down to the cafeteria. I need some coffee," Lucas said shortly as he turned on his heels and walked away before Karen had the chance to say anything else.

However, she didn't have long to ponder about that, because a couple of seconds Dan got up from his seat and made to follow Lucas.

"Dan don't you even think about it," Karen said warningly.

"What?" Dan asked confused as he stopped to turn around and look at her.

"You're not going to go after him. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but you're probably his least favorite person. And if he can snap at his wife, I don't even want to think about what would happen if you try to talk to him," Karen said seriously.

"But I—"

"It's a bad idea Dan," Karen emphasized.

"I need to talk to him, Karen," Dan said firmly, "I know it might not seem like a smart idea to you, but I need to talk to him. Or at least try to. If it looks to me like he's not in the mood to talk, then I'll come back. But I need to give it a try."

"What is so important that you have to talk to him about it right now?" Karen asked frustrated, "The timing is really bad."

"Just let me do this Karen. I promise I'll keep the situation in control," Dan insisted.

"Fine, but if you come in here with a bloody nose, I'll take my son's side over yours because I did warn you," Karen said giving in.

"It's okay. I think I'll take the risk," Dan said smiling slightly as he turned around and walked towards the elevator.

As Karen watched his retreating figure, she couldn't help but wonder what was so important that Dan couldn't wait to talk to Lucas about. But most importantly, she couldn't help but praying that Dan had enough sense to leave and not push a topic if Lucas wasn't in the mood, because that could turn ugly.

_Where were you, when everything was falling apart.  
All my days were spent by the telephone that never rang  
And all I needed was a call that never came  
To the corner of 1st and Amistad_

--

"Lucas," Dan said hesitantly as he approached to where Lucas was sitting in the hospital cafeteria.

"What do you want?" Lucas asked tiredly looking up to face his estranged father.

"Can I sit here?" Dan asked pointing to the seat opposite of him.

"Hmm…let me think. No," Lucas snapped turning his head so he was no looking out of the window.

"Well I take everything in the opposite way, so I am going to pretend you said yes and take a seat here anyway," Dan said quietly as he slid down on the empty chair.

"Why the hell are you here Dan?" Lucas asked angrily, "I really don't have the patience to hear whatever crap you have for me. So just leave, okay?"

"Look Lucas I am not here to fight with you. I am not here to open old wounds, or mock you, of whatever you're thinking. I just want to have a normal conversation with you," Dan said seriously.

"You and I don't do normal conversations. We've never had a normal conversation before, and we're not starting right now," Lucas said stubbornly.

"I am sorry," Dan said softly not paying any attention to Lucas's last comment.

"What?" Lucas asked surprised, sure that he was hallucinating. Did Dan Scott just say that he was sorry?

"I am sorry," Dan repeated slowly.

"You're sorry? You're sorry?" Lucas asked incredulously, "After 27 years of misery, you come here and say sorry and expect everything to be okay?"

"No, no it won't. I know that sorry doesn't make up for anything. But it's a start isn't it?" Dan asked probingly.

"Why are you so insistent in getting in by good books anyways?" Lucas asked annoyed.

"I have spent the past 3 years of my life redeeming myself, trying to win back the trust of my friends and family. And you're the only one left who hasn't forgiven me. You're the only one who still refuses to admit that I might have changed," Dan said simply.

"A leopard doesn't change it's spots Dan," Lucas said viciously, "You've never given me any reason in the 27 years of my life to believe that you might actually care for me. Not only were you never there for me, but you also took away the one person who meant the most to me after my mom. You took away Keith for me, and I can never forgive you for that."

"I know. I know, because I can never forgive myself for that either. I know I've been the villain in your life, but if you think about it, you and I are more similar than you would like to believe," Dan observed.

"What do you mean saying that my life is similar to yours? Our lives have nothing in common, because I am pretty sure I will never kill my brother in cold blood like you did," Lucas said sharply.

"I am not talking about our morals, because I know that in that aspect you are nothing like me. I am talking more along the lines about our lives when it comes to women, love and making stupid decisions. It is in these areas that we are quiet similar to each other," Dan clarified.

"Um my memory might be going, but I don't remember getting my high school girlfriend, then abandoning her to marry another woman who I had also impregnated," Lucas said sarcastically.

"I know I married the wrong woman. I knew it from the second I said I do to her. But so did you, you married the wrong woman as well," Dan said simply.

"What? What are you talking about? I didn't marry the wrong woman. Lindsay's the one for me, I didn't marry the wrong woman," Lucas repeated more to convince himself than to convince Dan.

"Yes, you did," Dan contradicted, "Lindsay means just as much to you as Deb means to me, which is not much. Sure you may love her to a certain extent, but that love is nothing to what you feel for say, Peyton."

"I _loved _Peyton. Past tense. Sure, I loved her in high school and I even thought that she was the one for me. But obviously I was wrong. Peyton and I weren't meant to be. We were over the second she refused my proposal in LA 8 years ago. Peyton was my past, and Lindsay is my present. I chose to marry her and I do love her," Lucas said unconvincingly.

"Your pride makes you believe that, but your heart says different. When Peyton said someday to your proposal 8 years ago, your pride and ego were hurt. You were so blind by your own pain that you didn't even spare a thought as to why she wasn't ready for marriage yet. Even though your heart yeaned for her, your pride refused to go back. And when you came back 4 years later with Lindsay as your girlfriend, you used Lindsay as a source to hurt Peyton just like she had hurt you all those years ago. When you proposed to Lindsay, it wasn't because you wanted to but because of the guilt you felt after kissing Peyton and—"

"Wait, wait, how the hell do you know that I kissed Peyton before I proposed to Lindsay?" Lucas asked stunned.

"Peyton told me. I found her crying in Tric one day, and she sort of spilled all your history to me that day," Dan explained.

"Well just because you know what happened between Peyton and me, doesn't mean that you understand the reason behind my motives. You have no idea what was going through my mind when I proposed to Lindsay. You have no idea how much it killed me, how much it still kills me to see Peyton hurt. You have—"

"I do. I know exactly what you were feeling when you proposed to Lindsay. I know exactly how you feel every time you see tears in Peyton's eyes. I know. And you know why? Because I have been through all of it. When I proposed to Deb, it wasn't because I loved her. I knew that the women I loved was back in Tree Hill pregnant with my child, and yet I picked Deb instead of her," Dan said regretfully.

"Why?" Lucas asked intrigued.

"I don't know. To this day, I haven't been able to come up with a satisfactory answer about why I chose her instead of Karen, but I know now that it was the stupidest decision I had ever made. Just like you, I also lived in great denial, never believing that Deb wasn't the woman who had my heart. I had buried myself so deep in self denial, that by the time I was able to claw my way out it was too late. And I don't want that to happen to you. I don't want you to miss your chance at happiness like I missed on mine, because otherwise you'll just end up bitter and alone like me," Dan said sincerely.

"Well maybe you married the wrong woman, but that doesn't mean that I did too. If I am satisfied with my marriage then what is your problem?" Lucas asked agitated still not coming out of his self denial mode.

"That's what I used to think too, that I was satisfied with my marriage. And then one day, I woke up and nothing was the same anymore. Deb and I barely knew each other, and before we knew it our conflicts grew into wars and that's when I finally realized that I was never satisfied with my marriage. That it was all a hoax. And unless you open your eyes Lucas, you are headed for the same fate," Dan said earnestly, "I've seen how you look at Peyton and how you look at your wife. When you look at Peyton, you get this ridiculous grin on your face, your eyes light up and it looks as if nothing but the two of you exist in the room. But when you look at Lindsay, it's always a passing glance, not lasting for more than a couple of seconds. I saw the way you danced with Peyton at the wedding, your eyes couldn't leave her face. And when you were dancing with Lindsay, your eyes barely glanced at her face. How much more proof do you need Lucas?" Dan asked quietly.

_Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me  
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded  
Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you?  
Just a little late, you found me, you found me._

"My daughter is being cut into, and I am sitting here listening to you talk about my pathetic love life. What kind of an ass does that make me?" Lucas asked ignoring Dan's question.

"They would have called you if they have had any news about Allison. I thing you're safe for right now," Dan noted.

"Yeah, but Peyton. I need to be there for her," Lucas said.

"Why?" Dan asked.

"Why? What do you mean why? I need to be there for her, to support her. She needs me," Lucas said agitated.

"And do you?" Dan asked cryptically.

"Do I what?" Lucas asked confused.

"Do you need her? You say that she needs you, but the better question is, do you need her?" Dan asked seriously.

"I—uh, yes, maybe. What do you want me to say?" Lucas asked exasperatedly.

"I want you to be honest. At least with yourself. I need you to realize that Lindsay was a mistake. I need you to realize that you love Peyton before it's too late. I need you to open your eyes," Dan appealed.

"I've hurt her way too many times," Lucas said after a couple of seconds, "I don't deserve her. All she's done is love me, and I've only given her pain in return. After everything I've put her through, there's no way she would still love me."

"Do you love her?" Dan asked.

"I love Lindsay," Lucas said stubbornly.

"Fine," Dan said exasperated, "Then close your eyes, and let me ask you one question. Pretend that you've just found out that Lindsay is moving to New York and Peyton is moving to Charlotte, and you have the power to stop one of them from leaving. Who would you chose? And don't even consider Allison here, it's just between Peyton and Lindsay. Who would you not want to leave?"

When Lucas didn't answer, Dan knew he had finally gotten his answer.

"Son, true love is something that doesn't knock on your door often. This might be your last opportunity to make things right with Peyton, because you don't know how long she'll be available. She's been engaged before, and she can be engaged again. Do not blow this chance. End your marriage with Lindsay and try to make things right with Peyton. Trust me, you'll be doing all three of you a favor," Dan said insistently.

"Why are you doing this?" Lucas asked his eyes bright.

"Because like I said, I don't want you to land in the same trap as I did. I never had someone tell me that I made a mistake by marrying Deb, and because of that I'm still suffering. I don't want that for you. I know that you don't trust me, and that I am your least favorite person in the world, but you're still my son, and I want to see you happy," Dan said simply as he got up from his chair ready to go back upstairs knowing that his work was done.

"Dan," Lucas called out once he had taken a few steps away from the table.

"Yeah?" Dan asked turning around.

"I don't think you've missed your chance yet," Lucas said quietly, and as Dan turned around and continued his walk towards the elevator, he couldn't help but let a small smile creep on his face from Lucas' words. Maybe there was still hope.

_But in the end everyone ends up alone  
Losing her, the only one who's ever known  
Who I am, who I'm not and who I wanna to be  
No way to know how long she will be next to me_

--

"Thank god you're here," Karen gasped out as Dan stepped out of the elevator, "I was just about to go to the cafeteria to make you sure you both were alive."

"We're fine. No screaming, no curse, no physical attack," Dan promised.

"You were down there for a long time. What the heck were you guys talking about?" Karen asked curiously.

"Just trying to get Lucas to open his eyes, that's all," Dan said cryptically.

"What?" Karen asked confused.

"Don't worry about it," Dan said waving the matter off, "I am pretty sure Lucas got the message, and that's all that matters."

"If you say so," Karen said rolling her eyes, knowing that she would not getting anything more from Dan. "Is Lucas coming up?"

"He should be here soon," Dan said shrugging, and just on cue the elevator door opened behind them and a tired Lucas walked out.

"Luke, are you okay?" Karen asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine mom, I'll be okay," Lucas assured chancing a glance at Dan, "Is Peyton back yet?"

"Yeah, she arrived a couple of minutes ago and took her old spot near the window," Karen said pointing to where Peyton was standing.

Nodding, Lucas started to make his way towards the blond.

"Hey," Lucas said quietly coming to a stop next to her and softly circling her waist with his arms.

"Hey," Peyton croaked out turning towards him. Her eyes were extremely blood shot, but she had finally stopped crying.

"Did the outside air do you any good?" Lucas asked kindly.

"Not really, but it felt good to be in the chilly air. The biting air made me feel human again," Peyton confessed softly, "Where did you go of to?"

"Went down to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee," Lucas replied.

"Oh, did you get it?" Peyton asked noticing his empty hands.

"Yeah, coffee and so much more," Lucas muttered.

"What?" Peyton asked confused.

But before Lucas had a chance to respond, they were interrupted by the arrival of Allison's doctor.

"Mr. Scott, Ms. Sawyer," Dr. Martinez called out as Lucas and Peyton quickly turned around to face the doctor, both of their hearts thumping in their chests.

"Is Allison's surgery over?" Lucas asked urgently, tightly grasping Peyton's hand.

"Yes, it is," Dr. Martinez confirmed.

"And?" Peyton probed impatiently feeling lightheaded.

"The surgery was successful," Dr. Martinez said and Peyton felt tears of relief pouring down from her eyes, "But—"

"But? There's a but?" Lucas asked worriedly.

"Unfortunately yes. The surgery was successful, but your daughter suffered from a major concussion. And as a result, even though her vitals are stable, she's not out of danger until she wakes up. It is also when she wakes up that we'll be able to tell if she will suffer from any permanent damage or not. So the sooner she wakes up, the better it is," Dr. Martinez explained.

"Did she suffer from any other injuries, other than the concussion I mean?" Lucas choked out.

"She broke her right arm, and there was some internal bleeding, but the main issue we had was with the concussion," the doctor replied.

"Can we see her?" Peyton asked tearfully.

"She's being transferred into her room as we speak. A nurse will inform you when you're ready to see her. Any other questions?" Dr. Martinez asked.

"If she wakes up during the night, who do we call?" Lucas asked.

"I'm on call this whole weekend so I'll be in the hospital. So you can either page me, or push the blue emergency button the second she wakes up," Dr. Martinez clarified.

"Thank you. Thank you," Lucas said softly as the doctor gave the distraught parents a small nod and walked away.

"Luke," Peyton whispered unbelievingly.

"It's going to be okay Peyton. It's going to be okay. Allison's come this far, she's not giving up now. She's going to pull through, I know it," Lucas said convincingly letting a few tears escape his eyes as Peyton dissolved into tears in his arms.

_Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me  
Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded  
Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you?  
Just a little late, you found me, you found me._

--

"Mr. Scott?" a nurse asked approaching the waiting room a couple of minutes later.

"Yes?" Lucas asked his head snapping up as Peyton straightened in his arms.

"You are allowed to go see your daughter now. She's in room 3315 across the hall," the nurse said pointing towards the opposite direction.

"Okay. Thanks," Peyton said as she as Lucas stood up, and started walking towards room 3315.

Once in front of the designated door, Peyton stopped abruptly causing Lucas to bump into her.

"Peyton?" Lucas asked questioningly.

"I can't do this Lucas. I can't walk in and see her all banged up like that. I am not strong enough for that," Peyton said tearfully.

"Peyton, Allison needs her mommy right now. You need to go in there and tell her to wake up. You have to tell her that you love and that you're waiting for her to open those beautiful eyes of her. It will be hard but you need to do this for Allison," Lucas said earnestly.

Peyton took a couple of seconds to let Lucas' words sink in. She knew he was right. This was not the time to be selfish. Her daughter needed her, and she was going to go in there even if it killed her. Nodding, Peyton quietly grasped Lucas' hand giving him the silent single to open the door separating their daughter from the rest of the world.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas raised a shaking hand and slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open.

As Lucas and Peyton stepped in the dark room, it took them a couple of seconds to adjust their eyes to the dim light. But once their eyes were accustomed to the darkness, they could see all around them, and both of their gazes immediately landed to Allison was lying on the hospital bed in the middle of the room.

Peyton felt herself gasp as she looked at her Allison. Releasing her grip on Lucas' hand, she walked towards her bed as if she was in a trance. She couldn't believe that her full of life daughter was lying covered from head to toe in bandages unconscious in a hospital bed. There was a tube fixed below her knows and about 5 different ones were visible just above her neck line. She was hooked to countless monitors, and Peyton felt her eyes well up once again when she glanced at her hands. There were 2 needles going through her left hand and her right arm was bandaged up in a heavy cast. But the thing that scared her the most was her face. Allison's usually healthy and happy face was completely pale and deathly looking. There was a big bandage across her forehead and she could see a couple of small scratches all across her face.

Once she had finally reached her bed, she cautiously took a seat next to where her left hand laid and let the tears fall freely from her eyes. She vaguely felt Lucas hand on her shoulder and felt his tears in her hair, but none of it mattered to her right now. The only thing going through her mind was how much her little baby was suffering right now, and there was nothing she could do to ease the pain. And that thought was enough to kill her.

--

**3 am in the morning**

The doctor had given Lucas and Peyton to stay the night with Allison, so right now Lucas was lightly dozing in the mini sofa placed at one corner of the room, and Peyton was sitting in a chair next to Allison's bed. Lucas had offered her the sofa so she could relax a little, but Peyton had adamantly refused to move away from her seat next to Allison.

It was now 3 in the morning, and Peyton was finally starting to doze of. Her hands her just slackened their hold on Allison's when she suddenly felt Allison's hand move in hers and before she could actually realize what was happening, she heard a small voice say, "Mommy."

_The early morning, the city breaks  
And I've been calling for years and years and years  
And you never left me no messages  
You never sent me no letters  
You got some kind of nerve taking all I want_

_

* * *

_**A/N: **Well this is it! Chapter 20! I can't believe how far I've come!

I had no intention of posting this chapter today, but I started writing it and I just had to finish it! Also, I got 41 reviews for last chapter and I was so happy about that, that I gave you a new chapter in just 3 days!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter….you guys are absolutely amazing!

So, tell me what you thought of it…it's the big 20, so it not anything else just congratulate me on getting this far!

Please, please, please **REVIEW **and make my day!

**Song: **_You found me- The Fray_


	21. Waking up, phone calls and shrinks

Chapter 21: Waking up, phone calls and shrinks

_Last Chapter:_

_It was now 3 in the morning, and Peyton was finally starting to doze of. Her hands her just slackened their hold on Allison's when she suddenly felt Allison's hand move in hers and before she could actually realize what was happening, she heard a small voice say, "Mommy."_

_

* * *

_

_Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking  
When you fall everyone stands  
Another day and you've had your fill of sinking  
With the life held in your  
Hands are shaking cold  
These hands are meant to hold_

"Allison?" Peyton whispered breathlessly as he eyes flew open. Hardly daring to hope, Peyton trained her eyes towards her daughter's face, and nearly broke down again when she saw Allison's baby blues staring back at her.

"Mommy," Allison repeated as Peyton flung her arms around her daughter and let tears fall freely in her golden locks.

"Oh my god baby, you're okay. You had us so, so worried. I can't believe you're awake—"

"Peyton who're you—Allison?" Lucas asked stunned jumping up from his place on the couch as he all but ran to his daughter's side finding it hard to believe that she was indeed awake.

"Hey daddy," Allison said softly, coughing slightly because of her dry throat.

"Hey baby," Lucas whispered back feeling tears prick in his eyes as well as he leaned down and softly kissed Allison's bandaged forehead.

"She's awake Peyton, she's okay. Our baby is fine," Lucas whispered comfortingly as he lifted Peyton off Allison and pulled her into a hug.

"She's fine, she's fine" Peyton repeated as she slipped out of Lucas' embrace and turned her attention once more to her daughter.

"Do you want anything honey?" Peyton continued carefully running her hands through Allison's tangled locks making sure not to touch the bandage that covered almost all of her forehead.

"Watah?" Allison choked out.

"Yeah, water of course. One second princess," Lucas said as he hurried towards the water jug and pouring some water in a plastic cup, he hurried back towards Allison's bed.

"Here you go," Lucas said tipping the water down her throat, "Peyton did you push the button to alert the nurses that she was awake?"

"Dammit I knew I wasn't doing something," Peyton mumbled as she leaned back and immediately pushed the blue button behind Allison's bed.

"Its okay Peyt, she's been awake for less than 5 minutes. I am pretty sure it won't make any difference," Lucas said soothingly as he watched Peyton's conflicted expression.

"I know, it's just that I can't believe I forgot. I mean the doctor told us 3 times to make sure that we alert him or any of the nurses as soon as Allison wakes up, and I completely forgot," Peyton berated herself.

"You were so relieved that Allison was awake that you forgot. It happens, stop being so hard upon yourself. Allison is—"

"Mr. Scott? What happened, you pushed the—Oh my, she's awake," the nurse said looking surprised at the awake young girl on the bed.

"Yeah she woke up like 5 minutes ago, I am sorry I didn't alert you—"

"It's fine, it's completely natural for parents to be so caught up in relief that it takes a couple of minutes for them to realize the technicalities," the nurse said kindly as she walked forward and started recording Allison's stats.

"Brenda can you please page Dr. Martinez and tell him that Allison Scott is awake please?" The nurse continued talking to her young assistant who was standing at the door.

"Right away," the nurse nodded taking out her pager.

"Why don't you both go outside for a couple of minutes while I perform her physical examination? We're not allowed to have parents in the room for that," the nurse said apologetically.

"But she just woke up," Peyton said softly.

"She'll be fine, I promise," the nurse promised.

"She'll be okay Peyton," Lucas agreed softly squeezing her hand in a comforting way.

Nodding, Peyton turned to walk away, but turned back again and walked towards Allison's bed instead. Once she was right next to her daughter, she leaned down and softly placed a kiss on both of her cheeks.

"Mommy and daddy are going to go outside for a couple of minutes, okay? This nice lady here is going to check you to make sure you're okay, be good for her. I love you," Peyton said softly and with one last kiss, she straightened up and joined Lucas at the door.

They were about to step out, when Allison's soft voice made them both turn around again.

"I love you too mommy and you too daddy. I love you so, so much," Allison said softly giving her parents a small smile.

"We love you too princess," Lucas said affectionately as she grasped Peyton's hand once more and led her outside leaving the nurse to continue with her examination.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Peyton asked Lucas once they were outside. There was so much hope in her voice that Lucas couldn't help but just stare at her for a couple of seconds. This was one of those times when he had a hard time believing that the Peyton standing in front of him was the same Peyton that he left behind 3 years ago.

"Luke?" Peyton's voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Oh yeah sorry, I was just thinking," Lucas apologized, "And Allison will be okay. Our daughter is a fighter, she's already beaten all the odds by waking up so fast, she'll be running around in no time at all."

"Thanks," Peyton said smiling slightly, "You always have the right thing to say to calm me down."

"What can I say, it's all part of the Lucas Scott charm," Lucas said grinning, the atmosphere much more lighter now that Allison was awake.

"Charm? What charm?" Peyton asked teasingly.

"You're funny, you really are," Lucas said sarcastically playfully nudging Peyton on her shoulder.

"I should call Brooke and Karen," Peyton said suddenly.

"And Nathan and Haley," Lucas added.

"I'll call Brooke and Karen and you call Nate. They won't be able to come here in the middle of the night, but they'll at least be able to have a decent night's sleep," Peyton said as she took out her cell phone and speed dialed Brooke's cell while Lucas did the same thing with Nathan.

_Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through  
Move along  
Move along_

--

"Peyton," Brooke's frantic voice greeted from the other end of the line, "What happened? Is everything okay? Why are you calling me—"

"Brooke calm down," Peyton said soothingly, "Everything is alright."

"Then why are you calling me in the middle of the night?" Brooke demanded, "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry B. I just wanted to tell you that Allison is awake," Peyton said smiling slightly, relief evident in her voice.

"SHE'S AWAKE," Brooke screamed from the other end, "She's awake and you take this long to tell me? I have been worried sick here—"

"Brooke she just woke up like 10 minutes ago. The doctor is checking her right now, so I don't have all the details right now, but she's awake and talking, and the fact that she woke up so fast is definitely a good sign," Peyton explained.

"Oh Peyton, I am so relieved," Brooke said softly her voice breaking with emotion.

"I know B. Davis. I know how worried you were, and that's why I you're the first person I am calling with the good news," Peyton said.

"Is there any way I can come to the hospital right now? Julian's here so Sam won't be alone, and I really, really want to see Allison," Brooke pleaded.

"Brooke you know that they don't anyone except for the parents in after visiting hours. And anyways visiting hours start in 9 hours, so you don't have that long of a wait," Peyton said soothingly.

"That is so not fair. I am her godmother, I should be given the same privileges as the parents," Brooke groaned, but Peyton could hear the smile behind her best friend's voice.

"Get some sleep Brooke," Peyton instructed lightly, "We don't want you scaring Allison when you come here in the morning with large bags under your eyes.

"Haha very funny P. Sawyer. I'll be in the hospital at 9 on the dot," Brooke promised.

"I know you will," Peyton agreed, "Anyways I have to call Karen now, so I'll see you in the morning okay?"

"Yeah. Take care P. and give Allison a kiss from me okay?" Brooke asked.

"I will. Bye," Peyton said.

"Bye," Brooke said softly as she hung up the phone.

--

Once Brooke had hung up the phone, Peyton once again speed dialed Karen's number and put the phone back to her ear waiting for someone to pick up the phone.

"Hello," Karen said as she picked up phone from the other side.

"Hey Karen, its Peyton," Peyton greeted softly.

"Peyton?" Karen asked surprised, "What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. I just called to tell you that Allison is awake," Peyton said getting right to the point.

"Allison's awake? She's awake?" Karen echoed hardly daring to believe what she was hearing.

"She is. She woke up about 10 minutes ago," Peyton confirmed.

"But- but the doctors said that she would wake up in 12 hours or something like that. What happened?" Karen inquired.

"She woke up. The doctors are just as surprised, but in Lucas' words, our daughter is a fighter. She likes to beat the odds," Peyton said proudly.

"Peyton that is great. Wow, I am so relieved. Wait one second—Dan Allison's awake," Karen shouted out turning her head away from the phone.

"What? She's awake?" Peyton heard Dan's stunned voice from somewhere behind Peyton.

"Peyton just called. Allison woke up 10 minutes ago," Karen said still talking to Dan.

"Oh thank goodness," Peyton heard Dan sigh in relief from the background as Karen once again turned back to the phone.

"Sorry," Karen apologized.

"It's okay," Peyton said brushing if off, "Dan's at your place?"

"Yeah. It was a hard night and I didn't want to him to be alone in that house especially with his heart condition and all, so—"

"Hey it's okay. You don't have to give me a whole explanation. I was just wondering, that's all. But if there's something that you might want to share with me then…" Peyton trailed off teasingly.

"Very funny Peyton," Karen replied and Peyton could just see her rolling her eyes, her cheeks sporting a light blush.

"Fine fine, don't say anything. Your silence says a thousands words in itself," Peyton said seriously. "Anyways, the doctor just came out of the room, so I'm going to hand up, okay?"

"Yeah sure. I'll see you in the morning. Give Allison a kiss from me will you?" Karen requested.

"I will," Peyton promised, "Bye."

And with that Peyton snapped her cell phone shut as Lucas did the same beside her, and they both turned towards the doctor feeling both eager and apprehensive.

_So a day when you've lost yourself completely  
Could be a night when your life ends  
Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving  
All the pain held in your  
Hands are shaking cold  
Your hands are mine to hold_

--

_Meanwhile...._

As Peyton turned around to call Brooke, Lucas flipped open his own cell phone and speed dialed Nathan's cell.

"Lucas," a very harried sounding Nathan said from the other end of the line.

"Hey man," Lucas greeted.

"What happened? Why are you calling in the middle of the night? Is Allison okay?" Nathan asked worried.

"Allison's fine. In fact, she woke up," Lucas said smiling.

"She woke up? She woke up? When did this happen?" A very excited Haley asked from the other line.

"Haley?" Lucas asked amused, "I thought this was Nathan's cell."

"Sorry man, I have the phone on speaker phone," Nathan explained.

"And anyways whatever belongs to Nathan belongs to me. That's one the basic rules of marriage or have you forgotten?" Haley asked teasingly.

"Lindsay and I don't share everything. You guys are just weird," Lucas joked.

"If being in love means we're weird then so be it. We've never been a normal couple and we never want to be," Nathan said seriously.

"Yeah I guess it all comes down to if you're in love or not," Lucas said bitterly, his cheerful mood disappearing as his thoughts wandered off to his broken marriage.

"Wait, wait, wait. Why are we talking about marriage here? You were telling us about Allison, Luke," Nathan probed obviously trying to change the subject.

"Yeah, she's awake guys. She woke up 10 minutes ago. The doctors said that she would be lucky if she wakes up in 12 hours, and she woke up in a little less than 6 hours. This is good right?" Lucas asked looking for reassurance. He had been reassuring Peyton the whole night, but now he felt the need to be reassured himself.

"That's great Lucas. I always knew my goddaughter was a fighter. She has always been the one to beat all the odds," Nathan said proudly.

"She's going to be fine Lucas. Your daughter is brave, and she has so much to live for, she's going to come out of all this even stronger than before, I promise. It will all be okay," Haley reassured her best friend knowing that this was exactly what he needed to hear.

"Thanks Haley, I really needed that," Lucas said appreciatively.

"They call me your best friend for a reason you know," Haley said teasingly.

"And man, you're doing really good with Peyton. She wouldn't have made it through this without you," Nathan said honestly.

"Thanks Nate. You both are the best," Lucas said gratefully.

"Oh don't we know it," Haley said jokingly.

"Hey listen guys, the doctor just came out of Allison's room. I need to go, okay?" Lucas said hurriedly.

"Oh okay. Take care Luke, we'll see you in the morning," Nathan said.

"And don't forget to give Allison a kiss from us," Haley said as Nathan disconnected the phone.

"I will," Lucas said quietly to himself as he put the phone back in his pocket and turned his attention towards the doctor, Peyton at his side.

_Speak to me, when all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through  
Move along_

--

"Mr. Scott, Ms. Sawyer," Dr. Martinez greeted once he had both of their attention.

"Dr. Martinez," Lucas nodded, "How is Allison?"

"Well I have got to say. Your daughter is one hell of a fighter. I cannot believe that she woke up just within 6 hours. I knew little kids recovered fast, but Allison beat all the odds," Dr. Martinez said, smiling at the relieved looks on the parents' faces.

"Are there going to be any permanent damages?" Peyton probed.

"Well from what we can tell so far from her stats, your daughter is expected to make a full recovery very soon. I am pretty sure there is going to be no long term damage, but we are going to send her for an MRI tomorrow to be completely sure. The fact that she woke up so fast obviously means that her brain is working much better than we expected it to be, and that's always a good sign," Dr. Martinez explained.

"She's going to be okay Luke. You were right, our baby is going to be alright," Peyton said turning towards Lucas with a big smile on her face that made his heart soar.

"Thank you so much Dr. Martinez. I owe my daughter's life to you," Peyton continued as she stepped forward and pulled the doctor into a brief hug.

"Yeah, thank you. You saved our daughter, we're forever indebted to you," Lucas agreed shaking the doctor's hand once Peyton had stepped back from him.

"I was just doing my job. But you're welcome," Dr. Martinez said smiling at the couple in front of him.

"So can we go inside now?" Peyton asked eagerly, excited to see her daughter again.

"Yes, you can. I gave her a pretty high dose of pain medication for her arm, so she is sleeping right now. But you can definitely go back in," Dr. Martinez said. The words hadn't completely left his mouth before Peyton turned and started walking towards the door leading to Allison's room.

Lucas quickly mouthed another thank you and made to follow Peyton, but Dr. Martinez interrupted him.

"Mr. Scott, can I have a word with you," he asked once Peyton was out of earshot.

"Um yeah sure. What is it?" Lucas asked confused, "Does it have something to do with Allison? Something bad that you didn't—"

"No, no, it has nothing to do with Allison. I just had a question for you," Dr. Martinez clarified.

"Okay," Lucas asked hesitantly.

"What is Ms. Sawyer to you? Other than your daughter's mother, what is she to you?" Dr. Martinez asked curiously.

"A friend, I guess. I can't exactly name our relationship. We kind of have a very messy past, so it's hard to determine who were really are," Lucas said honestly.

"I hope you don't mind me saying this, because it is really none of my business, but being a pediatric surgeon for 15 years have taught me a thing or two about people. Not kids, but just people in general. And from what I can see, you and Ms. Sawyer are way more than just friends. I saw the way you two interacted with each other, noticed the looks you sent her way. They're all way more intimate than the glances shared between two people who are just friends. And I think I am correct when I say that you're in love with Ms. Sawyer," Dr. Martinez finished.

"Okay one, I am not in love with Peyton. The only interaction you saw between us was me comforting her today. We've had a very rough day and both of us being parents' of Allison's, just kind of leaned onto each other. There was nothing other than that," Lucas said firmly.

"Why did you want to comfort her? There were a ton of other people that could have comforted her, like say her best friend. Why did you have to be the big guy and push aside your feelings so that you could be strong for her?" Dr. Martinez probed.

"Dude what are you, my shrink?" Lucas asked annoyed.

"I am just pointing a few things I noticed. I have never seen two people so in sync as you and Ms. Sawyer are. The kind of bond you guys share is something I have rarely seen, and trust me when I say that you can't find a connection like this with just anyone," Dr. Martinez said wisely.

"What makes you such an expert on love? And why are you telling me all this?" Lucas asked.

"I am telling you this because I know what it feels like to lose your one true love. And I also know how it feels to live with the regret on knowing that it is your fault that that person is no longer in your life. My fiancée and I broke up 20 years ago because I was too prideful to realize that sometimes others were right, to realize that sometimes you have to look under the surface to realize exactly what someone means. By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late. She was gone. She committed suicide and the only thing I had left of her were memories. And now I am 45 years old, still unmarried and living in a one bedroom apartment with just a dog for my company. I don't that for anyone, especially not for two people who are so right for each other," Dr. Martinez explained.

"But I am married," Lucas whispered softly unable to come up with any other response.

"Obviously to the wrong person," Dr. Martinez said simply before bidding him goodnight and turning around and walking away leaving a stunned Lucas behind.

_When everything is wrong, we move along  
When everything is wrong, we move along  
Along, along, along_

--

"Lucas, where were you? I was just about to come outside looking for you," Peyton said as Lucas walked into Allison's room.

"Dr. Martinez wanted to have a word with me, that's all," Lucas said trying to appear nonchalant about it.

"Dr. Martinez?" Peyton asked confused, "What did he want? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. He had just had a long day and wanted to talk to somebody, that's all," Lucas lied, not wanting to go into details about the real topic of their conversation.

"You're not lying to me, are you? This better not be something about Allison that the doctor didn't—"

"Hey, hey calm down. It's not about Allison. I promise," Lucas assured her, and with just one look in his eyes, Peyton knew he was telling the truth.

"I believe you. But are you okay? You look upset," Peyton guessed.

"Nah, I am just tired. And speaking on tired, how the hell are you still sitting up? If I were you, I would have passed out such a long time ago," Lucas said admiringly.

"Trust me, I am this close to passing out," Peyton said holding her fingers, "I am planning to take a little nap. The nurse brought in this reclining chair so I could be comfortable and be next to Allison at the same time."

"That's nice of her. But are you sure you don't want the sofa? I can sleep on the reclining chair," Lucas offered.

"No, it's okay. I want to be able to hold her hand, or I won't be able to relax," Peyton said as she pointed to her hand that was intervened with Allison.

"Alright whatever you want," Lucas agreed as walked towards Allison's bed to give her a kiss goodnight.

"Goodnight baby," Lucas whispered kissing his daughter softly on her cheeks letting his lips linger on her skin for a little while. Allison had always given him some sort a strange comfort that seemed to calm his every nerve.

"Goodnight Luke," Peyton whispered when he had finally straightened up.

"Night Peyton," Lucas said softly, and acting on impulse, he leaned down and lightly kissed her cheek. He hadn't meant to do that, he really hadn't. But she was so close to him that he just couldn't resist. Maybe Dr. Martinez did have a point.

As he straightened up, he braced himself for a lecture, but it never came. Instead, by the little light coming from the window, Lucas could have sworn that he saw a small smile on Peyton's face.

Smiling to himself, Lucas went towards the couch and was just making himself comfortable when Peyton's voice once again broke the calm silence of the room.

"Luke?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah," Lucas asked.

"Thank you," Peyton said softly.

"For what?" Lucas asked confused.

"For everything. Just everything," Peyton replied, and Lucas didn't need any more explanation.

_When all you got to keep is strong  
Move along, move along like I know you do  
And even when your hope is gone  
Move along, move along just to make it through_

_

* * *

_**A/N: **Here we go, Chapter 21 of Too Far Gone.

Let me start of by saying I am so, so sorry for the long delay, I have a ridiculous week last week in school and I had no time to sit down and write. However, this week looks pretty light so if you're really lucky, you'll have the next chapter by Friday, and if not then definitely by Sunday!

Second, I have been very lax in my author notes for the past 2 chapters, and I want to clarify something that have been a big issue in the reviews for the past 2 chapters:

**Lindsay DID NOT hit Allison**. I know that she's not a likable person, but I don't think that she has in her to hit an innocent 3 years old. The purpose of the accident was to bring Lucas/Peyton closer and there's nothing more to it. The accident will be a hit & run because we already have more than enough drama going on! And since the divorce is SO CLOSE, trust me, we don't need a reason to have Lindsay stick around for more than necessary!

Highlights for next chapter: This is the chapter you guys have been waiting forever. Two major things happen next chapter…one obviously is Lindsay's exit and the second….well I can't spoil it all for you! There's got to be something to keep you on the edge of your seat for the next chapter! But I promise, you're going to like it (or I hope).

With that said, I hope you liked the chapter, and please, please **REVIEW! **(I have been getting 40+ reviews for the last 4 chapters, so I am not expecting any less even though this was sort of a filler chapter)

**Song: **_Move along- All American Rejects_


	22. Homecoming and goodbyes

Chapter 22: Homecoming and goodbyes

**Dedication:** This chapter is dedicated to my sister, Joham, in honor of her 13th birthday!

_Last Chapter:_

"_Thank you," Peyton said softly._

"_For what?" Lucas asked confused._

"_For everything. Just everything," Peyton replied, and Lucas didn't need any more explanation.

* * *

_

_Desperate for changing  
Starving for truth  
I'm closer to where I started  
Chasing after you  
I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

_**A week later**_

"Rise and shine, princess," Brooke chirped happily as she walked into Allison's hospital room.

"Brooke what the hell?" Lucas groaned as Brooke cheerfully pulled open the curtains letting sunlight filter in the room and all over Lucas' face.

"No complaining Luke. Gotta get up. Today's the big day," Brooke said in a sing song voice walking towards the bed where Allison and Peyton were cramped together.

"What big day?" Peyton asked groggily, having been woken up by Brooke's loud voice.

"What big day? You don't know what today is?" Brooke gasped, appalled.

"Brooke I woke up 2 seconds ago, I have a right to be slow," Peyton defended herself.

"Allison is coming home today," Brooke squealed in a 'duh' kind of voice.

"Oh my god. She is," Peyton said sitting up on the bed immediately wide awake as Lucas did the same on the couch.

"Get the synapses to fire faster P. Sawyer," Brooke said rolling her eyes, "Now get your skinny ass off the bed so I can wake up my goddaughter."

"What—why?" Peyton asked confused.

"Because I want to," Brooke said simply as she all but dragged Peyton off the bed.

"Jeez, some friends I have," Peyton mumbled as Lucas laughed.

"Oh you know you love me," Brooke muttered waving her hand in a form of dismissal as she climbed in bed next to Allison.

"Unfortunately," Peyton said sending a mock glare to Brooke as she went and sat down next to Lucas on the sofa.

"Hey Allie-pooh, time to get up baby," Brooke said softly as she slowly ran her hand through Allison's golden locks avoiding the bandage that was still on her forehead.

"Uhmmm," Allison moaned as she turned towards Brooke and cuddled further into her embrace trying to get away from the light.

"No, no, no Allie, you gotta wake up. Today's a special day," Brooke said trying to coax her goddaughter into opening her eyes.

"Aunt Brooke, sleep," Allison muttered her eyes still firmly shut.

"Fine then, I won't give you your surprise. Your loss," Brooke said in a teasing voice as she made to move from the bed.

"Surprise?" Allison asked peeking at Brooke through half opened eyes.

"Yeah I got you a surprise since you're leaving the hospital today. But if you'd rather sleep—"

"No, no," Allison interrupted, immediately sitting up at the word surprise, "I awake. See," she added, opening her eyes wide to prove to Brooke that was indeed awake.

"Oh I see alright," Brooke said smiling amusedly. It was funny how her goddaughter digged presents.

"Can I get my surprise now?" Allison asked eagerly holding Brooke's arm tightly as to prevent her from going anywhere.

"Hmm…let me think about it," Brooke said in a mock contemplative way.

"You're the best godmother ever," Allison said cutely trying to butter her up.

"And—" Brooke probed on, fishing for more compliments.

"And I love you," Allison said, giving Brooke such a sweet smile that Brooke melted on the spot.

"Alright fine, you win," Brooke said giving up as she pulled Allison into a hug giving her a kiss on her right cheek, "And I love you too."

"Wow, our daughter is a charmer," Lucas said impressed.

"No kidding. She can get anything she wants with that smile and her puppy dog eyes," Peyton said amusedly as she watched Allison interact with Brooke.

"Surprise?" Allison asked pointedly once Brooke had released her.

"Patience young one," Brooke said laughing, then turning towards the door she called out, "Alright Sam and Julian, you guys can bring it in."

"Sam and Julian?" Lucas asked looking at Peyton in confusion, wondering if she had any idea what Brooke's surprise was.

"I have no—" Peyton started, but she stopped short when she saw Sam and Julian enter the room, carrying one of the biggest doll house she had ever seen in her life.

"What the heck?" Peyton asked stunned, as Lucas whistled lightly beside her/

"So what do you think?" Brooke asked excitedly to a stunned Allison.

"It's huge," Allison gasped her eyes wide.

"Do you like it though?" Brooke asked starting to get a little worried.

"I love it. It's so beautiful," Allison breathed out, her eyes transfixed on the doll house in front of her.

"It's exactly like the one you wanted at the mall the other day, I just got it enlarged," Brooke explained.

"And personalized," Sam added as she pointed to the roof of the house where Allison's name was engraved in beautiful cursive letters.

"Aunt Brooke you are the best godmother in the whole world," Allison squealed, still unable to peel her eyes away from the beautiful house.

"And I made some space in one corner of your room, where this would fit perfectly. So you'll be playing with it by this time tomorrow," Brooke said, extremely pleased for making her goddaughter so happy.

"Can I go see it from close?" Allison asked pleadingly.

"Yeah sure," Brooke agreed, as she carefully picked Allison in her arms and walked towards the table where Julian and Sam had set the doll house.

"Thank you Aunt Brooke," Allison said happily, wrapping her arms around Brooke's neck in a form of a hug, "I love you."

"Oh man this must be my lucky day. This is the second time you've told me you loved me," Brooke said teasingly.

"But for the record, I love you too, and you're welcome," Brooke said affectionately as she kissed both Allison lightly on the forehead and put her on the ground so she could take a closer look at her dollhouse, "Be careful of your arm okay?"

"Don't worry we got it," Julian said pointing to himself and Sam.

"So what do you think?" Brooke asked as she came to stand next to Peyton while they watched Julian and Sam giving Allison a tour of the doll house.

"Brooke it's beautiful. It's just what she wanted. Thank you," Peyton said as she gave her best friend a side hug.

"Hey she's my goddaughter, you don't have to thank me for doing anything for her, or for you for that matter," Brooke said seriously.

"But seriously Brooke it's amazing," Lucas said admiringly.

"Thanks," Brooke said sending Lucas a small smile, "Oh and by the way when is she coming home tonight?"

"I don't know. The doctor said that he'll perform her final examination at 5, and we'll be able to leave by 6. Why?" Lucas asked curiously.

"Oh no reason," Brooke said vaguely.

"Oh there is a reason. What is going on in that head Brooke Davis?" Peyton demanded.

"Nothing," Brooke said innocently, "I am just excited for Ally to come home, that's all."

"And pigs fly," Peyton said sarcastically not believing Brooke's response for a second. She knew that Brooke was excited for Allison coming home, there was no doubt about it. But there was something deeper cooking in her brain, she was sure of it. However, she also knew that she would not get anything of Brooke anymore, that woman could really keep her mouth shut when she wanted to. Guess, she would just have to wait till they got home that evening to find out.

_Forgetting all I'm lacking  
Completely incomplete  
I'll take your invitation  
You take all of me now..._

--

**_5:30 p.m in the evening_**

"So is everything okay, Doctor?" Peyton asked anxiously as Dr. Martinez walked out of Allison's room after performing her last physical.

"Everything looks great, Ms. Sawyer," Dr. Martinez said warmly, "Allison is ready to go home."

"Oh thank god," Peyton sighed in relief.

"I must admit, I am going to miss you guys, your little girl especially. She was my favorite patient of the week," Dr. Martinez admitted.

"She has the effect on people. She is a charmer, she has everyone wrapped around her finger," Peyton said amused.

"With that smile and those eyes, that is very believable," Dr. Martinez chuckled.

"Thank you. She gets those from me," Lucas said teasingly.

"You keep telling yourself that," Peyton said rolling her eyes.

"Um anyways, her next appointment is in a week. I am sure Patricia has given you the appointment slip," Dr. Martinez said referring to her secretary.

"Yes, she did," Peyton confirmed.

"Well then I guess this is where I leave you for today. It was a pleasure getting to meet you guys even though I do wish we met under different circumstances," Dr. Martinez said referring to the accident.

"Yeah same here," Lucas agreed, "Thank you though, for saving Allison's life, for being such an attentive doctor, and for other things. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Dr. Martinez said smiling warmly, "You take care of your little girl okay? She's going to change the world someday, I know it."

And with one final nod to the proud parents, Dr. Martinez turned around and walked away.

"I liked him," Peyton said thoughtfully after a couple of seconds.

"Yeah, he is a good man," Lucas agreed, "But let's go inside and tell Allison that she is finally free to go."

"Oh she's going to be so happy. She has been dying to go home for the past 4 days. Guess the confinement doesn't suit her," Peyton joked.

"For the hyper child she is, I am not surprised," Lucas said chuckling.

--

**_6:00 p.m- At Brooke and Peyton's house_**

"Is everything ready?" Brooke asked as she walked around doing the final inspection of the house.

"For the 1000th time Brooke, everything is fine," Rachel said calmly.

"I am sorry, but I just want everything to be perfect," Brooke said.

"And everything is going to be perfect. Just calm down, okay?" Haley said comfortingly.

"I am overreacting aren't I?" Brooke asked smiling slightly.

"Just a little bit," Rachel and Haley said together.

"Thanks guys, you're the best," Brooke said grinning, "Anyways, I am going to call Lucas to see where they are right now."

"Hello," Lucas greeted from the other end of the line.

"Hey Luke, where are you guys?" Brooke asked eagerly.

"We left the hospital 10 minutes ago. We should be home in about 5 minutes," Lucas answered.

"Alright great. See you guys in a few," Brooke said excitedly as she hung up the phone.

"When are they coming?" Nathan asked walking into the living room where the girls were sitting.

"They'll be here in 5 minutes people. Everyone find a hiding spot," Brooke shouted so that her voice reached everyone in the house, "And make sure you're in the living room only."

"Brooke we've gone over this 50 times at least. We know what to do," Nathan said smirking.

"Oh shut up Nate and do what I am telling you to," Brooke said rolling her eyes.

"Fine, fine," Nathan gave in, knowing this was not a good time to push Brooke's button. Everyone else seemed to have gotten the message as well, as they all followed Nathan trying to find a good hiding spot.

_I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you  
I'm living for the only thing I know  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
Just hanging by a moment here with you_

_**5 minutes later**_

"Alright they're here guys. Is everyone ready?" Brooke asked as she saw Lucas' mustang pull into her driveway.

"We're all set Brooke, get the door," Rachel said from where she was hiding behind a sofa.

Brooke watched through the peephole as Peyton got out of the car, as Lucas went to get Allison out of her car seat.

They had just reached the door, when it was opened by Brooke.

"Ally you're back," Brooke said excitedly as she stepped outside to take Allison from Lucas.

"Did you miss me, Aunt Brooke?" Allison asked giggling.

"Oh baby I missed you so, so much. This house is not the same without you," Brooke said honestly kissing Allison cutely on the nose.

"Aww Brookie, I missed you too," Allison said using Brooke's pet name that only she had invented.

"What are Lucas and I invisible?" Peyton asked in mock anger.

"No, of course not. How can two huge people like you be invisible? I am just not as excited about your return as I am for Allison's", Brooke said teasingly.

"Oh whatever Brooke," Peyton said good naturedly, "At least let us in, it's freezing out here."

"All in good time Peyton dear," Brooke said smiling, and turning to Allison she continued, " So Allison, what do you think about another surprise?"

"Anotha surprise?" Allison asked surprised. This was turning out to be her favorite day ever.

"Yup," Brooke said giving her goddaughter a big smile.

"Am I going to like it?" Allison asked eagerly.

"I think you're going to love it," Brooke said.

"Show me," Allison said excitedly.

"Well you're going to have to close your eyes. Close them real tight, and no peeking, okay?" Brooke asked.

"Okay," Allison agreed as she closed her eyes tightly.

"And don't open them till I tell you to," Brooke added.

"Okay Brookie, just take my to my surprise already," Allison whined.

"Fine, fine," Brooke said laughing as she started walking towards the living room, with Lucas and Peyton following after her.

"I am going to count to three, okay. You open your eyes when I reach 3," Brooke instructed, "1—2—3, Open them!"

"SURPRISE," Everyone shouted just as Allison opened her eyes. In every corner of the room, Allison saw a familiar face looking at her, everyone with a big smile on their face.

"It's your welcome home party honey," Brooke explained, as Allison looked around in shock.

"A party? For me?" Allison asked quietly.

"Yup just for you," Brooke said.

"It's not my birthday," Allison said confused.

"It's not a birthday party honey," Brooke explained, "It's a party for you coming home."

"Are there going to be presents?" Allison asked hopefully as everyone laughed.

"Lots, and lots of presents. In fact, they are all stacked next to the fireplace," Brooke said pointing towards a pile of presents next to the fireplace.

"Well aren't you get to get down and give us all a hug?" Nathan asked grinning.

"Knock em out girly," Brooke said as she placed Allison on the floor. As soon as her feet the touched the ground, she pulled out of Brooke's grip and went to give Nathan a big bear hug.

"Aww Al, we missed you," Nathan said kissing the little girl on the forehead, being careful so as to not touch her broken arm.

"Well now that the guest honor and her parents have arrived, let the party begin," Brooke called out as everyone gathered around Nathan and Allison, and wanting a hug from the little girl.

"I knew it," Peyton said as Lucas went to mingle with the group.

"What?" Brooke asked innocently.

"I know you were planning something for tonight," Peyton clarified.

"Well I had to do something for her coming home, I thought a Welcome Home party would be the perfect thing," Brooke explained.

"I think it's a great idea," Peyton said appreciatively.

"Yeah?" Brooke asked grinning.

"Oh yeah. After spending a week in that hospital, this party is just what Allison needs," Peyton said.

"What can I say, I am just that good," Brooke said proudly.

"Yours and Lucas' ego seriously needs to tone down. You guys think way too much of yourself," Peyton said teasingly.

"Can't fight the truth now can we?" Brooke asked laughing.

"You keep telling yourself that," Peyton said for the second time that day.

"Oh man P. Sawyer, it's good to have you back," Brooke said sincerely as she pulled her best friend into a hug.

"It's good to be home B. Davis. It's good to be home," Peyton agreed returning the hug.

_There's nothing else to lose  
There's nothing else to find  
There's nothing in the world  
That can change my mind  
There is nothing else_

--

**_An hour later_**

"Hey mom, where's Lindsay?" Lucas asked as he cornered Karen in the kitchen. Dinner had just ended, and Lucas was finally able to have a word with her mother.

"I don't know. She wasn't home when I came here. In fact, she has rarely been home in the past week," Karen replied.

"Oh," Lucas said stupidly.

"Have you talked to her recently?" Karen inquired.

"I saw her three days ago when I came home, and I left her a voicemail yesterday," Lucas said sheepishly.

"Are you telling me that in the past week you've only once talked to Lindsay?" Karen asked stunned.

"Two times—"

"The voicemail doesn't count," Karen interrupted sharply.

"I've been busy mom. And worried," Lucas said trying to defend his actions.

"You know Allison was going to be okay after the first night. And no matter how busy you were, this is not acceptable," Karen lectured.

"You're supposed to be on my side mom," Lucas protested.

"Luke you know I don't like Lindsay. I have never kept that hidden from you, but I have tried to accept her in my life, in your life. Why? Because I have always told you that I am always going to be behind you in whatever decision you make. So even though I was against your marriage with Lindsay, I kept quiet to uphold that promise I had made so long ago. But this is ridiculous Lucas. You talked to her _once _in a week!" Karen said incredulously.

"My life is so screwed up, Mom," Lucas said softly.

"I know Luke, trust me, I know. And you're the only one who can fix it. I can't tell you what do," Karen said softly.

"Tell me something, anything Mom. I am so lost here," Lucas said vulnerably.

"Listen to your heart Lucas. This time listen to your heart. That's all I can tell you," Karen said cryptically, and with that she turned around, leaving Lucas to his thoughts.

--

"Having fun?" Nathan asked as he sat down besides Peyton on one of the kitchen stools.

"Yeah, this is great," Peyton said smiling.

"If this is great, then what are you doing sitting all alone in the kitchen?" Nathan asked quirking his eyebrows.

"Just wanted some time to myself," Peyton said simply.

"The past week has been pretty hectic huh?" Nathan asked.

"That's one way of putting it," Peyton said lightly.

" Well then why don't you relieve some of the stress by talking about what's eating you up," Nathan suggested.

"To who?" Peyton asked teasingly, knowing full well that he was talking about himself.

"To I don't know, maybe a good, trusted friend," Nathan said sarcastically.

"Well Brooke is busy right now, guess I'll have to talk to her later," Peyton said contemplatively.

"I was talking about myself Peyt," Nathan grumbled.

"I know, I know. I was just having fun messing with your brain," Peyton said smirking.

"Some friend you are," Nathan said fake pouting.

"Oh you little baby, did I hurt your ego?" Peyton asked sweetly.

"Just a little bit," Nathan said grinning.

"Good. I should try that tactic on Lucas and Brooke, their egos are just getting out of hand," Peyton said teasingly.

"I agree, especially Lucas'", Nathan said playing along, "And speaking about Lucas, how are things going with him?"

"Things are fine," Peyton sighed, this was exactly what she was trying to avoid.

"You know when it comes to you, I have learned that the meaning of fine is not fine," Nathan observed, "That doesn't make much sense does it?"

"Not really, but I get what you mean," Peyton said smiling lightly.

"Well then why don't you go with the honest answer this time?" Nathan proposed.

"Ugh, I hate you for knowing me this well," Peyton mumbled.

"Well I am not leaving till you give me an honest answer. So we can stay here the whole night being fascinated by that spot on the fridge, or you can start talking. But if I were you I would pick the latter," Nathan said.

"I don't know where to begin Nate," Peyton confessed.

"How about we start by you telling me how your past week with Lucas went by?" Nathan asked.

"He was great. He was there throughout the week, and it was hell for me," Peyton said blunt, "Having him around me 24/7 for a whole week, it was just too much. It's not the 'I can't stand being in the same room as him because I hate him' feeling, it's the 'I am so uncomfortable around him because I don't know what he's going to do' kind of feeling. Lucas is so unpredictable Nathan, I mean he kissed me before he proposed to Lindsay, had sex with me one week before his wedding to another woman, and almost kissed me on New Year's eve while he was married to that said another woman. I mean there is only enough I can take—"

"Wait, wait, he almost kissed you on New Year's eve? How come this is the first time I am hearing of this? And what does almost kiss mean?" Nathan asked.

"I only told Brooke about the incident, and I made her promise to keep it quiet. And an almost kiss means that Brooke came called my name a millisecond before Lucas' lips touched mine," Peyton explained.

"Oh that son of bitch," Nathan said angrily.

"What?" Peyton asked confused.

"I told him not to make a move on you. I told him to stay away from your personal bubble, and he goes and _almost_ kisses you," Nathan said shaking his head.

"Yeah well you know what I mean? I can't be around him for long periods of time because I never know what he's going to do next. And I really can't blame him, because no matter how much I try to deny it there is so much heat between us—and I can't believe I said that out loud," Peyton gasped, realizing a little too late that she has revealed way too much information.

"Oh so there is too much heat between you guys?" Nathan said smirking.

"Shut up, shut up. I didn't mean it like that," Peyton said blushing.

"So how did you mean it like, Peyton?" Nathan asked innocently.

"Oh Nate go to hell," Peyton said unable to come up with a better comeback.

"Oh witty Peyton. Really witty," Nathan said rolling his eyes, "But seriously what is so wrong about there being too much 'heat' between you guys?"

"What's wrong with it? What's wrong with it? Everything, Nate, everything is wrong with it. There is supposed to be no heat between us. He's married for god's sake. I can't have too much heat with a married man. It's not normal, and more importantly, it's not right," Peyton said.

"Well you can't help that you and Lucas have so much chemistry. I mean we've all known that it's always supposed to Lucas and Peyton. Not Lucas and Lindsay. Lucas and Lindsay are not normal, and more importantly, they are the ones who are not right. So maybe the heat is supposed to be there," Nathan said contemplatively.

"He made his choice Nate. He chose Lindsay, so obviously there is something wrong with your equation," Peyton said softly.

"He made a mistake Peyton," Nathan said quietly.

"He doesn't think so, and that makes all the difference in the world," Peyton said sadly as she got up from the stool and walked out of the kitchen without giving Nathan a chance to reply.

_Desperate for changing  
Starving for truth  
I'm closer to where I started  
Chasing after you...._

--

**_11 p.m that night_**

"Well she's out for the night," Lucas said as he walked into the kitchen after finally putting Allison to sleep.

"Thanks Lucas," Peyton said gratefully her back turned as she rummaged in the fridge for something to drink, "You really didn't have to do that though."

"I wanted to," Lucas said.

"Well thank you. Allison loves being tucked into bed by her daddy," Peyton said sincerely.

"I love tucking her into bed," Lucas said smiling, "And Peyton, thank you."

"For what?" Peyton asked confused.

"For letting me stay with Allison while she was in the hospital. For letting me in her life, and for just giving the most wonderful daughter in the world," Lucas said emotionally.

"Lucas you're a big part of her life now. I have said it before, and I going to say it again, I am not going to take her away from you. Not now, not ever. Allison needs her daddy, and I think she's lived long enough without him," Peyton said seriously.

"You promise," Lucas asked his voice considerably closer than it was before.

"Promise," Peyton said, her heartbeat quickening as she felt Lucas close to her. Closing the fridge, she turned around and gasped.

She had expected Lucas to be close by, but what she hadn't expected was him to be right behind her. They were so close, that she could literally feel her breath on her face, but it was the look in his eyes that scared her the most.

"Lucas what—" Peyton started, but she couldn't get the rest of the words out. She couldn't speak, couldn't think as Lucas leaned in closer. So close, in fact, that if they spoke now, their lips would graze each other's. Their noses brushed. Current coursed through them, and Peyton's eyelids fluttered shut. The world seemed twice as quiet, twice as motionless. It seemed like the whole universe had been waiting for that moment as Lucas' lips met Peyton's.

Fireworks, passion, desire. Peyton clung to Lucas, kissing him back. It was ardour as they had never known it before, longing so strong it made their heart explode. To Lucas it felt as if he had died and gone to heaven. It just felt so right, so amazing. Amazing doesn't even _begin_ to describe the way it felt, to have her in his arms, to have her want me. He doesn't think there is, or ever will be, a word to portray how he felt right at that moment.

And it seemed as if everything just fell into place, that the whole world had righted it self, that there was a moment of true, pure harmony for everyone in the whole world.

Her hands were in his hair, and his were sliding down her sides, his arms finally encircling her waist as if he never wanted to let go, his body pressed against hers so intimately. It was Heaven, it was bliss as I had never encountered before. Lucas moved her hand down to the side of her neck, one thumb on her cheek while the other hand was on the back of her head, urging her on. How could he not? He loved this, he loved _her_…

As he came to realize what she had been feeling, realization hit him like a ton of bricks as he finally realized what Dan and Dr. Martinez was talking about. He was in love with Peyton Sawyer. Wait, scratch that, he had always been in love with Peyton Sawyer. No matter how hard he tried to let go of her, she had always been there, always in her mind and dreams. Just one kiss was able to break down all the weak walls of denial that he had set up, so that he could at least try to make his marriage with Lindsay work. But now, he knew, he _knew_ that what he felt for Lindsay would never compare to what Peyton makes him feel. That no matter how hard he tried, Lindsay would never be able to take Peyton's place in his life. One kiss was all it took for Lucas to realize that his marriage was over. It was time to let go.

Lucas sudden revelation had caused to pull back abruptly from the kiss, and that was enough to bring Peyton thundering back to earth. Her eyes snapped open, and she stepped back, horrified at what she had just done. She had done the one thing, she had promised to avoid at all cost. She had kissed Lucas Scott, she had kissed him while he was married to Lindsay. God she really was an adulterous bitch.

"Peyton," Lucas breathed out softly, his mind still a little numb from their kiss.

His whisper was enough to bring Peyton out of her horrified reverie, but only one word escaped her lips, "Lindsay."

"What?" Lucas asked confused. What the hell was she doing thinking about Lindsay right after they had kissed.

"Lindsay. Your wife. The woman you are married to. You kissed me, and you're married to Lindsay. I uh—I—" Peyton stuttered, she was so disgusted with herself and so angry with Lucas that she couldn't complete that sentence.

"Peyton I—"

"Go Lucas. Leave. Go back to your wife like you always do. Just go," Peyton said tearfully.

"I am so—"

"Just go dammit. Get out of my sight," Peyton shouted pointing towards the door.

Knowing that Peyton would not hear anything else, he nodded slightly, and turning on his heels and slowly walked out of the door. He knew he had lost the argument with her tonight, but he had won the argument with his conscience. He finally knew what he had to do, he finally had the answers.

_I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you  
I'm living for the only thing I know  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
Just hanging by a moment here with you_

--

When Lucas entered his house 15 minutes later, it was pitch black. Trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness, he quietly made his way to his room. He stopped in front of his door, and was surprised to see light peeking out from crack beneath the door. Lindsay must be awake, well that just made things more easier for him.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the door, and sure enough Lindsay was sitting on the bed. But what surprised him was that she was dressed and there were a couple of packed suitcases next to her.

"Hey," Lucas said quietly.

"Hey," Lindsay replied in a monotone voice.

"Um are you going somewhere?" Lucas asked hesitantly.

"To New York," Lindsay said shortly.

"Another business meeting?" Lucas asked politely, it was disconcerting how forced and formal their conversation was.

"No," Lindsay replied.

"Then?" Lucas asked confused.

"I am moving back to New York," Lindsay said simply looking at Lucas straight in the eye.

"You're leaving?" Lucas asked stunned.

"This shouldn't surprise you Lucas. This has been coming for a long time," Lindsay said seriously, "I have been trying to hold on to something that wasn't mine to begin with, and it's about time I let it go. I want a divorce Lucas."

"What?" Lucas asked, completely speechless.

"I want a divorce," Lindsay repeated, "Our marriage is over Lucas. I am done, I am just done."

"Lindsay I—"

"You don't have to say anything Lucas. I don't want to make this awkward on either of us. I am leaving for New York tonight, and I have already contacted my lawyer about drawing up the divorce papers. You should have them by tomorrow," Lindsay said sadly as she got up from the bed and hauled her suitcases on the floor.

"Lindsay I am so sorry," Lucas said softly, knowing that she was more hurt than she was letting on.

"Yeah, so am I. Have a good life Lucas Scott," Lindsay said, and with one last look towards Lucas she walked out of the door, and out of Lucas' life forever.

_Just hanging by a moment (here with you)  
Hanging by a moment (here with you)  
Hanging by a moment here with you_

_

* * *

  
_

**A/N:** Well here you go! So what do you think? Did it meet your expectations? Was it disappointing? What did you think of the kiss? Were you happy that it was Lindsay asked for a divorce? Did you feel just a little sad in the last scene? Are you glad that man face is gone forever? Did you like the Neyton and Brooke/Allison scenes? And most importantly, did you like it?

Please answer at least three of those questions above! This is a landmark chapter for me, I have to say that for me this is the most important chapter of this fic and I really need the opinions. But if you don't feel like answering, just review anyways =]

Last time I wrote such an anticipated chapter, I got 75 reviews! 75! So far that's my highest number of reviews for a single chapter! Can we try to beat that in this one??

So please, please tell me what you think, and now that Lindsay is out of the way, put your thinking caps on and feel free to give your suggestions as to how Lucas will fight for Peyton, because I can promise you that she will not just fall in his arms.

Also, I know many of you wanted Lucas to be the one who asks for a divorce, but just trust me on this one! I needed Lindsay to ask for the divorce for the upcoming chapters, so just hang in there! And as long as Lindsay is gone, it really shouldn't matter either ways!

And finally, thank you all so, so much for the reviews last chapter! You're all the best, seriously!

With that said, I hope you like the chapter, and please, please **REVIEW!**

**Song: **_Hanging by a moment- Lifehouse_


	23. Memories, Regrets and Promises

Chapter 23: Always by your side

_Last chapter:_

"_You don't have to say anything Lucas. I don't want to make this awkward on either of us. I am leaving for New York tonight, and I have already contacted my lawyer about drawing up the divorce papers. You should have them by tomorrow," Lindsay said sadly as she got up from the bed and hauled her suitcases on the floor._

_"Lindsay I am so sorry," Lucas said softly, knowing that she was more hurt than she was letting on._

"_Yeah, so am I. Have a good life Lucas Scott," Lindsay said, and with one last look towards Lucas she walked out of the door, and out of Lucas' life forever._

_

* * *

_

_You look away, you're speaking with your back turned._

_Summer's gone and it left me with a sunburn_

_Whatever happened to our afternoons?_

_Just assumed that you lost me like a left turn_

_I spent my childhood lookin at the stage_

_Waiting for the day it would be me and I could say_

"_Slow down…"_

_That's my philosophy_

Lucas was still staring at the closed door five minutes later, when a knock on the very same door, brought him out of his reverie.

His first thought was that maybe Lindsay had come back. Maybe she had realized that she still wanted to be married to him. Maybe she wanted to give him a _third_ chance. He knew he should feel elated at the thought that maybe, just maybe his wife was coming back to him. But the only thing he felt at that knock was panic. He knew that Lindsay and him were over, in fact had she not asked for the divorce, he would have asked for it. It took him long enough to realize just how wrong Lindsay was for him, and for once when something right actually happened in his life, he didn't just want it to be wishful thinking.

However all his doubts and worries vanished when he heard his mother's worried voice from the other side of the door.

"Lucas? Lucas are you in there?"

"Yeah," Lucas croaked out, then clearing his throat he continued, "Yeah mom, I am here."

"Lucas what the heck is going on?" Karen asked as she opened the door and walked inside her son's room. "I just saw Lindsay leaving the house with her bags packed, and tears streaming down her face? Did you guys get into a fight or something?"

"She left, Mom," Lucas mumbled.

"I got that much. But where did she go in the middle of the night? And is she coming back?" Karen asked concerned.

"She left for good, Mom," Lucas clarified, "She's on her way to the airport right now. She's moving back to New York."

"Moving back to New York?" Karen echoed shocked.

"Yeah," Lucas confirmed, "We're getting divorced, Mom".

"A di-divorce?" Karen asked stunned, but at the same time, she felt a little bit of hope make its way into her chest.

"She said she called her lawyer already. I should have the divorce papers by tomorrow," Lucas explained.

"So it's really over?" Karen asked, a tinge of happiness in her voice.

"It's really over," Lucas confirmed, the reality of the situation finally hitting him.

"I am sorry, Luke," Karen said softly not knowing what else to say.

"Don't be sorry, Mom," Lucas said seriously, "I am not."

"But honey, your wife just walked out on you. Surely you must be a little upset."

"Mom, this divorce has been long awaited. Our marriage was over a long time ago, it's about time we made it official. We've been just trying to hold on something that just wasn't there, and we were both scared to let go of it," Lucas said contemplatively.

"Why?" Karen asked.

"Why what?" Lucas asked confused.

"Why were you scared of letting your marriage go when you knew it was over?" Karen clarified.

"Because of the stability this marriage provided me. And I was afraid that once this marriage would be over, everything that I have been repressing for so long would come gushing out, and I didn't know how to deal with it. I knew from the day that I married her that Lindsay was the wrong choice, but I created a sense of denial so strong in my head, that I almost started believing it. Believing that Lindsay was it for me, believing that what I had left behind was nothing significant. But then I came here, and my life was thrown out of balance the second I stepped into this kitchen. I had never been so shaken in my entire life, my mind was saying one thing and my heart was screaming something else. And to escape from all these conflicting thoughts, I held on tight to the denial, and to my marriage because it made things seem a little easier, a little less complicated. But as time went on, both my marriage and my denial started crumbling, and it wasn't until Dan sat down and knocked some sense into me, that I realized that I was just wasting my time with Lindsay—"

"Wait, wait, wait," Karen interrupted Lucas' tirade, "Dan knocked some sense into you? Dan Scott? When did this happen?"

"The day of Allison's accident. He cornered me in the cafeteria while Allison was in surgery, and gave me a pretty insightful lecture on the meaning of life. He told me to live life in a way that when I look back at it 50 years from now, I feel satisfied in the way things turned out to be," Lucas explained.

"And you sat through that lecture without threatening to punch Dan or walking away?" Karen asked surprised.

"Pretty weird huh?" Lucas asked with a small smile.

"Too weird," Karen agreed.

"Yeah well speaking of Dan, I am going to pay him a little visit, okay? I'll be back soon," Lucas said suddenly as he got up from his bed.

"You're going to visit Dan? At one in the morning? Can't this wait till morning?" Karen asked.

"I need to do this right now, Mom when I still have the inspiration. I won't be long, promise," Lucas said as he leaned down, kissed his mother on the cheek and walked out of the room.

"Lucas going to visit Dan in the middle of the night on his own free will?" Karen mumbled to herself, shaking her head in disbelief, "This is getting way too crazy for me to handle in one night."

_I get by_

_Making the best of what was mine_

_If you think this could be what you want_

_Then you just gotta try_

_You won't mind_

_Playing a victim of the time_

'_Cuz I swear it's getting better yeah_

_That's my philosophy_

--

Lucas was on his way to Dan's beach house, when he had the sudden urge to stop by the river court. Deciding to take a small detour, Lucas turned in the lane that led to the River Court instead of going straight towards the beach.

Parking the car in the empty parking lot, he got out of the car, and took a minute to stop and just breathe. This had always been a ritual for him, whenever he was conflicted or upset, he would come to the rivercourt and just breathe in the fresh air. To him, the air around the river court was soothing, something that could put him to ease in his most troubled times. And as far as he could remember, these troubles usually had something to do with a certain blond that had held his heart since he was 17 years old. And today was no exception.

Opening his eyes a minute later, he walked towards the basketball court grabbing a stray ball from the corner. Dribbling the ball slightly, he attempted a shot only to have the ball land all the way on the other end of the court. Sighing, he trudged over to the other side, his mind flashing back to the first time he ever talked to Peyton Sawyer.

"_That's me inside your head." _That was the first thing he said to her that day when her car broke down. It was the day that changed everything, because after that day, Peyton just wasn't a fantasy that he enjoyed looking from afar. Now she was the real deal, a real person will real emotions, someone that was so close and yet so far away. But on that day, Lucas had vowed to himself that he would make that blond cheerleader fall in love with him, even if it was the last thing he did.

And he did, he did make Peyton fall in love with him. But what happened next was something that he could have never predicted. He broke her heart, time and time again. In the beginning he always told himself that if he got Peyton, he would never let her go, and most importantly he promised himself that he would never hurt her. But he had broken both of those promises, he let her go, and he had hurt her in a way no one has able to before. He had broken the girl he had always promised to protect, and it was no one's fault but his.

In his anger and frustration, he picked up the ball from the ground and threw it towards the net, and to his surprise it went in. As he looked at amazement at the ball lying innocently under the hoop, he could have sworn he heard Peyton's teasing voice from behind him.

"_Nice shot"_

He swerved around half hoping to see a 17 year old Peyton standing in her cheerleader uniform across the court, but all he saw was darkness. Cursing at himself for getting so lost in the past to the point that he was hallucinating. Bitterly, Lucas turned around and went to get the ball again, but he couldn't help but mutter _"Nice legs"_ under his breath. Guess old habits died hard.

As he tried to position himself to make his next shot, his eyes left the hoop and made their way to the exact place where 8 years ago Peyton had stood watching the one-on-one game between him an Nathan.

"_I'll be seeing ya." _That was what he said to her after he had won that game and a spot on the Tree Hill's varsity basketball team. That night changed who he was. A nobody turned into a member of the basketball team overnight. And that's when he realized, that this had to be destiny's way of getting him and Peyton together. Many people would have laughed at that thought, but Lucas believed in it. And standing here 8 years later, he couldn't help but wonder how destiny could have gone so wrong. Peyton and him were meant to be. Isn't that what everyone keeps telling him? Isn't it what his heart keep telling him? Then what was he doing here in the middle of the night having just ended his marriage with the wrong woman? This was surely some sick, sick joke destiny was playing on him.

This was the first time in 3 years that he had really allowed himself to think about his past with Peyton. Before this, every time that his mind wandered towards Peyton, he would either bury it deep inside it, or busy himself with something else that would divert his attention. But now that he had started going down the memory lane, it was extremely hard for him to come back to reality, especially since memory after memory flashed by his eyes making him realize exactly how much of an idiot he had been.

As his eyes fell to the painting of the faded red heart with the #3 in the middle, he couldn't help but let a small smile sneak its way on his way.

Art had been Peyton's passion, and he couldn't for the life of him understand why she was so conscious of it. He remembered her reply when he asked her why she didn't want her artwork published, _"I want to draw something that means something to someone, but I can't. It's too important to me."_

_He also remembered that it was his reply to this comment that earned him the first smile from Peyton Sawyer, "__Your art matters. It's what got me here."_

_And looking back, he realized that what he felt when he saw that small smile on Peyton's face, was a completely indescribable feeling. It was happiness, pride, relief, all mixed in one. It was better than becoming a best selling author, better than making the winning shot in the state championship, because it was in that moment that he realized that he was in love with Peyton Sawyer. And 8 years, and many, many conflicts later, the feeling still hadn't changed a bit. _

_It could be over in a moment_

_The curtain falls before you know it_

_Looking forward towards the next scene_

_Remember back when we were young and still above?_

_We're falling in and out of love and then again before the bell rings_

_If you take a trip through my mind_

_Who knows just what you'll find_

_Stop dead in your tracks from her eyes_

_Then put it all together_

_That's my philosophy_

He was so lost into reliving the past that he didn't hear a car pull up next to his in the parking lot. In fact, he wasn't aware of another presence until the man cleared his throat directly behind him trying to get his attention.

"Lucas," Dan Scott said softly trying to not freak him out but at the same time snap him out of his reverie.

"Dan?" Lucas asked jumping in shock, completely startled by his presence.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Dan apologized.

"It's fine, I just wasn't expecting you or anyone for that matter here in the middle of the night," Lucas said honestly.

"Your mom called me," Dan said, "She said you left to visit me an hour ago and that you hadn't returned yet. She was threatening to come over and kill me because she thought I had abducted you or something."

"Yeah I was coming to meet you, but I guess I got sidetracked," Lucas said.

"Apparently," Dan agreed.

"So how did you know I would be here?" Lucas asked suspiciously.

"Your mom told me what happened between you and Lindsay, and I had heard from a very reliable source that you do your best healing on the Rivercourt. I just wanted to drop by and make sure you were okay," Dan explained.

"Peyton," Lucas muttered.

"What?" Dan asked straining to hear.

"Peyton told you that didn't she? Because she's the only person I've told that," Lucas clarified.

"Yeah, she did," Dan said simply, knowing that there was no point in lying, "She knows a lot about you. If I quizzed her and Karen about how much they know about you, I am sure Peyton would win."

"Yeah, I guess she does," Lucas said distractedly his mind drifting back to all the conversations he had had with Peyton both while they were just friends and when they were dating.

"Anyways now that I know you're okay, I'll update your mom, and leave you to your healing," Dan said quietly.

"I am not really healing," Lucas whispered, not knowing why he was sharing this information with Dan of all people.

"Well I am sorry to hear that. But divorce is a painful process, the hurt doesn't heal—"

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant that I am not here to heal, because I am not hurt. Divorce is supposed to be painful, but I don't feel the pain. All I feel is relief. I know that probably makes me the worst guy in the world, but I don't feel a hit of remorse," Lucas said bluntly.

"I can identify with that feeling," Dan said after a couple of seconds.

"You can?" Lucas asked surprised.

"Yeah. After my divorce with Deb was finalized, I didn't feel remorseful or hurt, all I could think about that was that I was free," Dan said quietly.

"Wait, I don't get it. You're saying that you wanted your marriage with Deb to end, and yet when it finally did, you spent months trying to make her change her mind. I don't think I am going to be doing that," Lucas stated.

"That's the difference between amending your mistake in 3 years or amending it in 17 years. For 17 years I was with Deb, and when we finally ended our relationship, everything that I had ever wanted was either gone or taken. I had no one left, so I tried to get her back, because she was the only consistent thing in my life at that point. But you are—"

"In the same position," Lucas cut in bitterly.

"No, you're not. You're in a very different position than me, because you still have time, you still have a chance to make amends, to take back the past 3 years and start all over again," Dan said.

"I can't start all over again. I can't," Lucas said despairingly.

"Why not?" Dan asked agitated.

"Because the only woman I want to start over again, doesn't give a damn about me. She hates my guts, and I am pretty sure I am way too late to change her mind," Lucas said brokenly.

"Okay one, Peyton does give a damn about you, in fact she cares about you more than you think. Two, she definitely doesn't hate you. She probably hated what you did to her, or the control you have over her, but she never hated you as a person, she couldn't. And lastly, it's not too late. Her heart still belongs to you, I know that," Dan said convincingly.

"She was engaged Dan. Engaged! That obviously shows that heart _doesn't _belong to me," Lucas said irritated.

"Lucas, do you know why Julian called off their engagement?" Dan asked cautiously.

"Because they didn't think they could handle a marriage, and Julian had to go back to LA or something like that. But why does any of this matter?" Lucas asked.

"It matters because that was not the reason why Julian called off their engagement," Dan said softly.

"What? You mean Peyton lied to me?" Lucas asked surprised.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Dan nodded.

"What happened? Why did they call off the engagement?" Lucas asked urgently.

"It wasn't 'them' that called off the engagement, it was Julian. You remember the necklace you gave Peyton? The one with the picture of you guys on one side and an inscription on the other?" Dan asked.

"Yeah, of course I do. I gave Peyton that necklace on our 3 month anniversary," Lucas said.

"Julian found that necklace. Peyton had misplaced it somewhere, and Julian found it, open. That was all he needed to see to realize that he would never take your place in Peyton's heart, and well the rest is history," Dan related.

"Peyton still has that necklace?" Lucas asked in awe, allowing himself to feel a little hope.

"She never goes anywhere without it. If she is not wearing it then she carries it around with her in her purse. You'll never find her without her," Dan said.

"Wow," Lucas said softly, "When I asked her about the necklace, she said she lost it."

"She didn't want you to know that she still had that necklace, because she didn't want you to know that even after so many years she still hasn't been able to let you go," Dan explained softly.

"Well she could have fooled me," Lucas muttered.

"She doesn't want to get hurt again Lucas. She can't afford to be vulnerable around you, because she can't trust you. She's unwilling to open herself to you because she thinks that if she lets you in, you'll end up breaking her again. So to protect herself from all the pain and misery, she has put up layers around her heart. She's not the same person you left here three years ago, she's much more stronger now." Dan noted.

"How do I break those layers? What do I do to get back in her heart again? How do I gain her trust? How do I make her believe that if she gives me one more chance, I am not going to let her down again? How do I rectify all my mistakes?" Lucas asked softly.

"Let me ask you a question Lucas, How much do you love Peyton?" Dan asked.

"More than words can describe. Tonight is the first time I have actually allowed myself to think about Peyton, about our past, about who we were, and what we could have been. And as I opened my heart to her, I realized that what I felt for Lindsay was absolutely nothing compared to my feelings for Peyton. I had forgotten how overwhelming love can be until tonight," Lucas said quietly.

"So now that we have established that, let me ask you another question, How far are you willing to go to get Peyton back?" Dan questioned again.

"I willing to do anything and everything to make her mine again. I made that promise to myself 8 years ago, and I am making it again today. But this time, I am going to do things differently," Lucas resolved.

"Well you have your answer," Dan said clapping his hand together, "Peyton is not going to fall back into your arms like she has done all those times in the past. For the first time, you are going to have to fight for her. Give her everything you're made up of. Make her realize that she means the world to you, and that you are willing to go at any length to get her back. You need to make her trust you with her heart again. And it's going to be hard. Peyton is one stubborn woman, but if there is one thing I have learned from my experiences in life is that in the end true love conquers everything," Dan said passionately.

"And if I still end up failing…" Lucas asked hesitantly.

"You won't. I know Peyton, Son. You're still in her heart, you always were and you always will be. You just to break down those protective layers around her heart and make your way to the core. But you did it once, and I am sure you'll be able to do it again," Dan said patting Lucas slightly on the back.

"I hope you're right," Lucas said looking towards the sky.

"Me too. And anyways, a woman can resist the Scott charm for only so long," Dan said smiling slightly trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh now I am convinced," Lucas said sarcastically, but the smile on his face told Dan that there were no hard feelings behind the word.

But before Dan couple reply, he felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocket. Taking it out, he looked at the phone id, and cursed under his breath.

"Karen," he greeted in a cheerful tone.

"Now, now, Karen no need to get so upset. Lucas is fine. He's at the river court."

"How do I know? I know because I am standing right in front of him."

"I am sorry I didn't call to inform you, we kind of got sidetracked."

"Yes, I'll give him the message."

"Goodnight."

"Looks like somebody got a lecture," Lucas noted once Dan hung up the phone.

"It was your mom," Dan said rolling his eyes.

"I figured," Lucas said dryly, "What did she want?"

"Apart from knowing why I didn't bother calling her when I found you, she wants you to go home," Dan relayed the message.

"I am not 5 years old anymore," Lucas grumbled.

"That may be so, but you've had one hell of a night, and your mom is right in worrying about you. Go home, get some sleep, because you're not going to come up with any game plan in the condition you are in," Dan said seriously.

"I guess you're right," Lucas sighed as he looked towards his car.

Dan and Lucas walked silently towards the parking lot. And as Dan turned towards his car, Lucas' voice interrupted him.

"Dan?"

"Yeah," Dan asked turning around.

"Thank you," Lucas said softly.

"You're welcome," Dan replied with a small smile on his face. And as he continued towards his car, he knew that tonight had changed his and Lucas' relationship forever.

_Remember the look upon her face_

_Remember the way she loved the chase_

_If we ever go back there someday_

_I'd never, ever, let her get away_

_It's drinking away the summer days_

_A moment in time we can't replace_

_I won't let my life go to waste _

_That's my philosophy_

_--_

**10 a.m. the next morning: Lucas' bedroom**

"Lucas Scott," Haley shouted as she barged into Lucas room threw the blanket off his sleeping form on the floor immediately waking him up.

"Hales, what the heck?" Lucas groaned, shielding his eyes from the sunlight that was filtering through the newly opened curtains, "I am really getting annoyed by waking up with the sun completely in my face."

"Sorry Luke, but we have to talk," Haley said seriously.

"Fine, fine, but what are you doing in my bedroom? Is Linds—"

"Lindsay's not here anymore Luke," Haley said softly.

"The divorce," Lucas whispered as he turned to Lindsay's side of the bed, and sure enough it was empty.

"Did you get drunk last night?" Haley asked cautiously.

"No. I didn't have a sip of alcohol last night. Do I look hungover?" Lucas asked running his hand through his messy hair.

"No, it's just that you look like you don't remember much from last night," Haley elaborated.

"I remember last night just fine. I kissed Peyton. Decided that it was time to end my marriage with Lindsay. Came home to find that Lindsay was already one step ahead of me, she had already drawn up the divorce papers and she left for New York for good. Went to the river court, met Dan, and for the second time since I came here had an extremely enlightening conversation with him," Lucas said listing off last night's events.

"You kissed Peyton," Haley breathed.

"Was that the only thing you got out of my long tirade?" Lucas asked amused.

"Not funny Lucas. Now answer the question, you kissed Peyton?" Haley repeated.

"Yes, I did," Lucas answered.

"Luke, why did you do that?" Haley groaned.

"What do mean why did I do that? Is there supposed to be an answer to that?" Lucas asked.

"Of course there's an answer to it. There's an answer to everything. Seriously though Luke, you are such an idiot," Haley said shaking her head.

"What? How am I an idiot?" Lucas said confused.

"Because you kissed her while you were still married to Lindsay. Now Peyton will think that she's a home wrecker, and a whore who couldn't keep her hands off someone else's husband. You kissed her because you wanted to, but did you take a second to think how this might affect her? Why are men such pigs?" Haley said sighing.

"I am sorry, but she was right there, and I guess I just crossed that invisible boundary. She kissed me back though," Lucas said hopefully.

"Of course she kissed you back. It's Peyton, Lucas. She will try to resist you, but in the end, she'll always end up kissing you back," Haley stated obviously.

"Are you saying that she can't resist me," Lucas said smirking.

"See, this is exactly what's going to bring you down in the end. Your stupid ego. I doesn't matter if she can resist your charms or not, it's about what comes afterwards. The guilt, the self disgust, the shame of kissing a married man, it kills her Lucas. And now when she's going to hear about the divorce, she's going to think it's all her fault," Haley said sadly.

"Lindsay and I were over way before I kissed Peyton last night Hales," Lucas said.

"Peyton's not going to see it that way Luke. And you can't honestly say that Peyton wasn't the reason why your marriage ended," Haley said seriously.

"I am not saying that Peyton wasn't the reason, because she was. It was my love for her that overcame my love for Lindsay in the end. But does it really matter why our marriage ended? All that matters is that it did," Lucas said.

"Luke of course it matters how—"

"Hales can we drop this subject for a while?" Lucas asked pleadingly.

"Fine, I am dropping it now. But this conversation is in no shape or form over," Haley agreed.

"Thanks," Lucas said gratefully.

"It really is over isn't it?" Haley asked a couple of minutes later.

"It is," Lucas confirmed.

"Well in that case, I don't know if I should hug you and give you my congratulations or if I should give you a tissue and a shoulder to cry on," Haley said contemplatively

"I give your permission to do whichever seems more fitting," Lucas said smiling.

"You asked for it," Haley said, and without warning, she threw her arms around him hugging him tightly.

"I thought you liked Lindsay, Hales," Lucas said teasingly as Haley pulled back.

"I did, I do," Haley said honestly, "She's a good person, Luke. She's just not the right person for you. And honestly, after seeing you and Peyton together, no one seems right for you other than her."

"I really screwed up with her, Hales," Lucas said softly.

"I know you did, Luke. But if you are willing to make amends, then I want you to know that I am behind you 100 percent. And I am not just doing this for you, either. I am doing this for Peyton too, because everyone knows that Peyton and Lucas belong together, you both complete each other and I think it's about time both of you got your happy ending," Haley said sincerely.

"Thanks Hales. You're the best friend a guy can ask for," Lucas said giving Haley a side hug.

"But Lucas you also need to remember that just as I am your best friend, I am Peyton's best friend too, and she means a lot to me too. So I need you to promise me that you're not going to hurt her this time. You need to promise that you're not going to screw up, because I am putting my friend's heart at stake here, and I don't want this to backfire on me," Haley said seriously looking Lucas right in the eye.

"I promise you Haley that this is it. There is going to be no screw ups this time because I have finally realized the importance of Peyton. There is no way in hell I am ever taking her for granted again. I am going to do everything in my power to make her trust and love me again, and I promise you that you're not going to regret this," Lucas said passionately.

"You better not Lucas Scott," Haley said playfully as she pounded fists with Lucas in order to seal their deal.

"But before we talk about our game plan, let me ask you this, was I hallucinating or did you say that you and Dan had an enlightening conversation at the Rivercourt last night and that this wasn't the first time you guys have talked either," Haley asked surprised.

"You weren't hallucinating. Dan and I did have a civil and insight—"

But Lucas was interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door.

"Lucas there is a Mr. Rodriguez on the door for you," Karen said peeking inside Lucas' room.

"Mr. Rodriguez? I don't know any Mr. Rodriguez," Lucas said confused.

"Well he's at the door asking for you," Karen said shrugging her shoulder as Lucas got up from her bed and made his way towards the door where this mysterious 'Mr. Rodriguez' was waiting for him.

"Hi," Lucas greeted once he was face to face with the stranger.

"Hello. I am Mr. Rodriguez, and I am Ms. Strauss' lawyer," Mr. Rodriguez introduced himself.

"Oh, so you're here about the divorce?" Lucas asked.

"Yes, I have the divorce papers that require your signature," Mr. Rodriquez said pulling out a yellow manila envelope and handing it to Lucas.

"Um yeah she told me that I would get the divorce papers by today. But I thought she would probably mail it or something, I didn't think her lawyer would show up on my doorstep," Lucas said.

"I am sorry for any inconvenience I might have caused you. I probably should have called before I came here," the lawyer apologized.

"It's okay. Why don't you step inside while I sign these papers," Lucas offered.

"Yeah sure, but if you want more time, I am here till tomorrow, in case you need to look over the papers or—"

"No, that's fine. Lindsay emailed me all the conditions of our divorce last night, and I am fine with all of them. Just give me a couple of minutes, I'll be right back with the signed papers," Lucas said as he turned around and walked towards his room.

Closing the door behind him, he set the envelope on his desk and slowly took out the divorce papers from inside. He had just taken out the papers when he felt something solid fall out of the envelope. Looking down, he realized that it was Lindsay's ring. Fingering the small piece of jewelry, he softly set it aside and turned his attention to the matter at hand.

Flipping the divorce papers to the signature page, he realized that Lindsay has already signed them. Knowing that this was officially the end, he picked up a pen, and without a second's hesitation signed his name on the papers.

_I get by_

_Making the best of what was mine_

_If you think this could be what you want_

_Then you just gotta try_

_You won't mind_

_Playing a victim of the time_

'_Cuz I swear it's getting better yeah_

_That's my philosophy_

_

* * *

_**A/N:** ******IMPORTANT INFORMATION BELOW…PLEASE READ ALL! ******

Did that big headline catch your notice? I hope it did, because what I have to say is very important for the progress of this story.

Now that the divorce is finally finalized, and Lucas has finally admitted his feelings for Peyton, the next question is, what is he going to do about it? Call her from the airport and ask her if she would like to get married in Vegas? I don't think so.

I love Leyton, but the one thing that really displeased me this season was how Peyton just accepted Lucas without a question, after everything he put her through! I wanted Lucas to fight for her, something he has done for every woman in his life other that Peyton.

But I guess that's the beauty of fanfiction. Writing the story the way you want it to be. So, as you can tell, Leyton is just not going to get together immediately, Peyton is just not going to fall in Lucas' arms. He will have to fight for her, prove to her that he's here this time forever, make her believe how much she really means to him.

And this is where you wonderful readers/reviewers come in. From here on, you guys are going to decide what's going to be in the upcoming chapters.

To do that, I need you guys to do one of two things (or both if you like):

1) I need all the different ways you guys think Lucas should fight for Peyton. All the actions he commit, what he says, etc. Should he send her flowers everyday? Or a note that shares a little tidbit of their past? Should he use Allison to his advantage? Should he karaoke her a song? Should he take her to a special night on in the beach? The actions/ ideas can be public or private, because remember this Lucas Scott wants the world to know what Peyton means to him. And of course the biggest challenge is to break down the layers Peyton has put around her heart to protect herself from getting hurt again. All I am asking from you guys, is to give me a couple of scenarios where Lucas proves to Peyton that he has changed. I have a couple of ideas myself, but what I am really looking for is to write what you guys want to see. After all you guys have been the best support system for the past 22 chapters.

2) Apart from the situations, I also need songs! I have a ton of songs, but I would like to know what you guys think I should use as chapter songs for the next 6, 7 chapters. 'Wait for love' by Matt White, is the song for the second to last chapter! So please, give me one or a couple of songs that relate to Leyton and have the theme of not giving up, always being there, etc.

**You are not entitled to chose just one option. You can give me a scenario and list the song you think will go nicely with that scene, or any other way you like. It's entirely up to you, but please, I need your input on AT LEAST one of the options! So get those thinking caps on! **

Next, from this chapter onwards, every chapter will also have a dedication. Since we are coming so close to the end, I think it's time I start honoring my amazing reviewers!

Dedications are going to go 2 ways: (1) To the person(s) whose scenario(s) I use for that chapter, and (2) To the person whose song I chose for the chapter song!

I know this is not much, but this is the best thing I could come up with. I want all of you to know how much all your reviews mean to me! You guys are truly amazing!

And lastly, I am almost at 1000 reviews! I got 48 reviews for the last chapter (Thank you, thank you for all of you who reviewed) and I am 75 away from the 1000 review mark. Obviously for reaching such a big landmark, you guys need a reward. So I have decided (I got this idea from **bendecida82**) that once I reach 1000 reviews, I am going to post 2 chapters within the time span of 3 days. Which is going to be one hell of an accomplishment on my part, but you guys seriously deserve it. So when we reach a 1000 reviews, the next 2 chapter will be posted within a day of each other! Excited! And not only that, but I have decided to continue with this every time I hit 200 reviews! This will give me the inspiration to write, and hopefully give you the inspiration to review!

Now with that one page A/N out of the way (**I HOPE YOU READ ALL THE WAY THROUGH)**, click on that little green review button below, and let me hear your ideas!

I love you all =]

**Song:** _My Philosophy- Holiday Parade_


	24. Cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Chapter 24: Fight for you

**Dedication:** This chapter is dedicated to Myra (kathiria82) as a belated birthday present! I hope you like it M, and thank you for all your support! I love you 3

_Last chapter:_

_Flipping the divorce papers to the signature page, he realized that Lindsay has already signed them. Knowing that this was officially the end, he picked up a pen, and without a second's hesitation signed his name on the papers._

_

* * *

__This time, This place_

_Misused, Mistakes_

_Too long, Too late_

_Who was I to make you wait_

_Just one chance_

_Just one breath_

_Just in case there's just one left_

_'Cause you know,_

_you know, you know_

"Guess who's the newest bachelor in Tree Hill," Brooke yelled excitedly as she walked into her house.

"Who?" Peyton asked in a bored voice, not bothering to look up from the magazine she was reading. With everything that had been going on in her life, she really wasn't in the mood to listen to Brooke gossip about the newest hottie in town or whatever.

"Tsk Tsk Peyton," Brooke said clicking her tongue as she sat down next to her and snatched the magazine from her hand.

"I was reading that, Brooke," Peyton said glaring at her best friend.

"Well I have something important to say," Brooke said stubbornly, "And it would be nice if you showed a little enthusiasm—"

"Listen Brooke I am sorry but I really don't want to hear about the newest most eligible bachelor. I am not interested and neither do I—"

"It's Lucas," Brooke said abruptly, effectively putting an end to Peyton's comment.

"Lu-Lucas," Peyton choked out a couple of seconds later.

"Yup, he's the newest bachelor of Tree Hill," Brooke said, barely able to conceal the glee in her voice.

"Lucas and Lindsay…you mean they div-divorced?" Peyton said, feeling herself go numb as Brooke dropped the shocking news.

"They did. Lindsay left last night and Luke got the divorce papers this morning. Apparently she had been planning this long before Luke went home last night," Brooke explained.

"Are you sure they're over? I mean how did you find out?" Peyton asked unbelievingly.

"Haley called me a couple of minutes ago. I didn't get all the details because she was still grilling Luke for the details. But I do know for sure that he is officially divorced. In fact, he handed Lindsay's lawyer the divorce papers while I was on the phone with Haley," Brooke replied.

"So Lindsay initiated the divorce?" Peyton probed, squirming in guilt as she remembered the kiss that took place last night.

"I think so. Since the divorce papers came today, a day after she left, it probably means that she drew them out at least a couple of days ago," Brooke reasoned.

"Hey you okay?" Brooke asked when Peyton didn't respond for a while, "I know this is a lot to take in but—"

"You know for a second I thought that Lucas was the one who asked for the divorce," Peyton said interrupting Brooke.

"Um okay," Brooke said confused, wondering where Peyton was going with this, "But does it really matter who asked for the divorce first?"

"Of course it matters. How can in not matter?" Peyton said angrily as she suddenly jumped off the couch and walked into the kitchen.

"Peyton…" Brooke said looking questioningly at her best friend's back before getting up and following her into the kitchen. "What's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing, because there is obviously something going on."

"Nothing. It's just that I thought that once in his life Lucas would rank me higher than Lindsay you know. When you told me that they were divorced I though for a second that maybe last night—it doesn't matter," Peyton said bitterly.

"Peyton I am really not following you here," Brooke said apologetically, "What happened last night? What's going on?"

"He kissed me last night," Peyton said quietly, "And not just a peck on the lips either. It was a full blown kiss. And I thought that maybe after that it dawned to him that Lindsay was a mistake and he went and asked her for a divorce. I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe this time he had picked me above her. But how stupid am I? I mean this is the guy that kissed me and then proposed to her with the ring that was meant to be for me, and then had sex with me in my office and went around and got married to her a week later. With that kind of reputation, I should have expected him to kiss me last night and then jump into bed with her half an hour later so he could get rid of the guilt of kissing his ex. I have always been second place in his life, and I can't believe I was stupid enough to let myself believe otherwise."

"I thought you didn't love him anymore," Brooke whispered.

"I don't," Peyton said bitterly.

"Then why are you so upset?" Brooke asked gently.

"Because, because for once I wanted to mean something to him. Something other than just a woman who he screwed around with behind his wife's back," Peyton said softly.

"Oh honey you mean so much more to him than that," Brooke said pulling her best friend into a hug.

"Really? Because it sure doesn't seem that way," Peyton muttered brokenly.

And it was in that moment that Brooke realized that Peyton Sawyer was still very much in love with Lucas Scott. She had built up a cold wall around her heart to protect herself from all the heartache, but underneath all that, her heart still belonged to Lucas Scott. And it probably always will.

_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

--

**2 hours later**

"Hey," Peyton said as she approached Lucas who was standing in the middle of the rivercourt.

"Peyton," Lucas said surprised as he turned around to see the blonde standing right in front of him.

"I went to your house. You mom said I might find you here," Peyton said quietly.

"Yeah, I came here to clear my head—"

"And to heal. After all, Lucas Scott does his best healing at the rivercourt," Peyton interrupted.

"Not really healing. I just came here to clear my head. It's been a long day," Lucas sighed.

"I heard about the divorce," Peyton said getting right to the point.

"You and the rest of Tree Hill," Lucas said sarcastically.

"It's a small town, Luke. News travel fast here," Peyton said smiling.

"Yeah, I had forgotten," Lucas said returning her smile, "And New York spoiled me quiet a lot. Nobody knows anyone's business there."

"LA's the same way," Peyton agreed.

"So you came here for a specific reason?" Lucas asked fishing for conversation.

"Just wanted to make sure you were okay. With Lindsay leaving and the divorce business, I am sure it had been one hell of a day for you," Peyton said.

"It's been a long day, but it certainly hasn't been a bad one," Lucas noted.

"Well you must be the first guy who's not feeling like crap after a divorce. I was thinking that I was going to find you in bar getting your ass drunk," Peyton said lightly.

"I haven't had a single drop of alcohol for almost a week," Lucas stated.

"While I am glad you're not feeling suicidal, this nonchalance isn't sitting well with me either. You just got divorced Luke, and you're acting like it's just another regular day," Peyton said cautiously.

"Peyton this is the first time in the past 3 years that I actually feel free. For the first time in a long time I feel like myself. This divorce has been the best thing that has happened to me," Lucas said sincerely.

"You're saying that right now, but had Lindsay hadn't asked for a divorce, you would have still been married to her," Peyton said a hint of bitterness in her voice.

"No, I wouldn't have," Lucas said firmly.

"Really?" Peyton asked sarcastically, her mood changing drastically, "What would have done? Asked her for a divorce? As if."

"As a matter of fact I would have. When I got home last night, I knew that this would be my last night with Lindsay. I was going to end our marriage because honestly it wasn't a marriage anymore. Everything was gone, the love, the trust, the companionship. We were only married under the law, and it was about time we ended all of it. And apparently Lindsay was thinking along the same lines too, because when I entered my room, all her stuff was packed and she told me that she was leaving for New York and that she wanted a divorce," Lucas explained.

"And you let her go? Without a fight?" Peyton asked

"I told you that I was going to end the marriage anyways. Why would I fight her for something that I didn't even want? In the end, it didn't matter to me who asked for the divorce as long as someone did," Lucas explained.

"Until last week you were in love with Lindsay, everything was going fine. What the hell happened that it had to come to this?" Peyton asked trying to understand.

"You want the truth?" Lucas asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Peyton answered firmly.

"You," Lucas whispered.

"What?" Peyton asked confused.

"You happened," Lucas clarified, "I fell in love with you all over again. I mean I never stopped loving you, but I was finally out of my denial—"

"Is this because of the kiss last night? Because if it is, then you're making a mistake Lucas. The kiss didn't mean anything, you can't end your marriage based on a meanin—" but the rest of her words were drowned as Lucas clamped her mouth shut by his hand.

"That kiss meant everything," Lucas whispered looking her straight in the eye, "Every kiss I have shared with you was meaningful. You wanna know why? Because I love you. I am in love with you."

SMACK!

"Don't you dare use my lines against me," Peyton raged moving away from Lucas' grasp, her eyes blazing with anger. "This is just like you Lucas Scott. Just when you get dumped, you come to my doorstep and tell me that you love me, that the other woman was a mistake. But I have had enough. In the past, I let you in with open arms and every time you ended up breaking me. I know better now. I am no longer the stupid, naïve and vulnerable Peyton Sawyer you knew in high school that was blinded by your sweet words, only to find out later that they were all a bunch of lies. You're done fooling me Lucas, I have been played with for far too long, and I not going down that path ever again. You don't stand another chance with me, and you know why? Because I don't love you and I sure as hell don't trust you."

And with that, she turned around and walked away, leaving a stunned Lucas behind.

_On my knees, I'll ask_

_Last chance for one last dance_

_'Cause with you, I'd withstand_

_All of hell to hold your hand_

_I'd give it all_

_I'd give for us_

_Give anything but I won't give up_

_'Cause you know,_

_You know, you know_

However, it only took him a couple of seconds to get back to reality, and Peyton had just walked into the parking lot when she felt Lucas' strong grip on her upper arm.

"Let me go Lucas," Peyton said in a deadly quiet voice.

"You're a liar," Lucas said strongly.

"What?" Peyton asked as Lucas turned her around so that she was facing him.

"You heard me," Lucas replied.

"How the hell am I liar?" Peyton asked angrily trying to loosen her arm from his grasp.

"You said that you didn't love me," Lucas said simply.

"And how is that a lie?" Peyton asked still struggling in his grip.

"It's a lie because I know you're still in love with me," Lucas said strongly.

"That's a pretty bold statement to make isn't it? But then again, you are Lucas Scott," Peyton said sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucas asked defensively.

"It means that you only think about yourself. According to you, the world revolves around you. You and your wife divorced less than 3 hours ago, and you're standing here confessing your love for me. I don't know if this makes you the world's biggest liar or a jackass," Peyton said viciously.

"Honestly, my marriage with Lindsay was over a long time ago. Probably from the time I saw you for the first time after 3 years. I might be a jackass Peyton, but I will never ever lie about the way I feel about you," Lucas said softly.

"Your words aren't getting you anywhere this time Lucas. They may have led you to my heart in the past, but that's not happening this time. Because no matter how well phrased those words are, I know that there is no meaning behind them. You never prove your words through your actions—"

"That's not true," Lucas protested weakly.

"Really? Then what about all the promises you made me all those years ago about how you'll always be there for me, and yet when I saw someday to your wedding proposal, you walk away, leaving me all alone in that empty hotel room. You never fought for me, Lucas. You fought for Brooke, you fought for Lindsay, but never for me. You claim that I am your one true love, and yet all your actions prove otherwise. I am done being second best in your life Lucas, because I know I deserve better than someone who runs away every time there is a glitch in the road," Peyton said softly.

"You're right," Lucas agreed, surprising Peyton, "I have never fought for you, I always took you for granted, and I guess that's why we are standing here having this discussion today. But you are wrong at one aspect. You were never second best, Peyton. I know I made you feel that way, but nothing's farther from the truth than that. My heart has always belonged to you, from that time you almost ran me over with your car, I knew that you were it for me."

"Lucas don't do this," Peyton begged, but Lucas didn't hear any of it.

"I know that you don't believe me. And honestly after everything that I have done to you in the past, I wouldn't have believed me if I was in your position—"

"Damn right," Peyton muttered.

"I know you deserve better than me, but I am selfish person and I am not willing to give up on you Peyton. I am going to fight for you. I am going to make you trust me again, I am going to make you love me again. It's not going to be easy, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to get you back. And this time, I am going to prove my love to you through my actions rather than my words, because you mean way too much to me for me to just let you go," Lucas said passionately.

"It's not going to work Lucas," Peyton said firmly, "I don't want to be anything other than your friend. And a relationship is the last thing we're going to have."

"You believe whatever you want to believe in Peyton, but I promise you, you're going to singing a different tune very soon. I am not giving up on you, on us—"

"There is no us," Peyton interrupted harshly.

"For now. Things are going to change Peyton, because this time I am not going anywhere. I know I have hurt you, broken you, but I am willing to wait for as long as it takes for you to forgive me and trust me again. And today as I stand here, I promise you that one day Peyton Sawyer will become Peyton Scott," Lucas finished with a determined glint in his eyes.

"That day is not happening in this lifetime," Peyton said stubbornly, finally ripping her arm out of Lucas' grasp.

"'The boy saw a comet and suddenly his life had meaning. And when it went away he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought into his life. Direction, beauty, and meaning. There were many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them, but even in his darkest hours he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him and his world would be whole again and his belief in God and love and art would be reawakened in his heart.' You're my comet Peyton, my one true love. You always were and you always will be. And true love never dies," Lucas said loudly, making sure that Peyton heard every word. And if her halty steps were any indication, his words had affected her just as much as they had affected him.

_I wanted_

_I wanted you to stay_

_'Cause I needed_

_I need to hear you say_

_That I love you_

_I have loved you all along_

_And I forgive you_

_For being away for far too long_

_So keep breathing_

_'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

_Believe it_

_Hold on to me and, never let me go_

_

* * *

_**A/N: **Well here we go, Chapter 24!

I honestly don't know how this turned out to be, because the Leyton conversation was so hard to write.

Finally Lucas had admitted to Peyton that he loves her and that he is willing to fight for her. Some of you might think that it's too soon, but I really need to start moving with this.

I hope you guys liked Peyton's mindset and denial. She won't be coming out of that for a while. Lucas will have to go far and beyond to win our favorite blonde back!

It's quiet short, but honestly I am so swamped with work that I am surprised that I actually got it done today. Don't worry though, the next chapter will be much longer!

And WOW, amazing, amazing reviews for last chapter! I got 41, and every single one them was great! Thanks to you guys, I have a ton of idea as to how Lucas will win Peyton back, and I am so excited to about the next couple of chapters when I get to use your ideas and songs to keep making this story better. Thank you so much for every bit of suggestion, you guys are seriously the best readers in the world.

I also got a tons of favorites after last chapter, and obviously that made me happy, but if you do add me to a favorite, I would really appreciate it if you took out a second and tell me what you think about the story so far.

**Highlights for next chapter:** Lucas seeks out Haley's advice on how to win Peyton again, and Peyton sees the first signs of the 'changes' Lucas promised.

Also, we are at **966 reviews** (EEKKSS!) Only **34 away from a 1000**, and since the average reviews for a chapter are between 37-40, I am expecting us to touch the milestone with this chapter! I would LOVE you guys if we do reach it….AND just as a little incentive, **if I get 1000 reviews by tomorrow, the next chapter will be posted up by Friday** (only a day break!). Also, don't forget the deal I made with you guys. **When we do reach 1000 reviews, you guys are going to get 2 chapters within a span of 3 days.** So if I do reach a 1000 reviews by tomorrow, Chapter 25 will be up on Friday and Chapter 26 will be up by Sunday. So within a span of 4 days you get 3 chapters.

So if you're excited to see what's up next for Leyton, click on that green button below and **REVIEW!**

*******(PLEASE READ THE BOLD PARTS!)******

**Song:** _Far Away- Nickelback _


	25. His words, Her mortal enemy

Chapter 25: His words, Her mortal enemy

**Dedication**: This chapter is dedicated to _**LeytonAlways**__, __**ReeseHolden**__ & __**Lostand1TreeHillfan**_for mentioning the song _Twenty Years- Augustana, __**Luke-n-Peyton**_ also for a song [used in Lucas' notecards] and _**Ladysteinbeck**_ _&_ _**FelieR**_ for the scenario!

_Last Chapter:_

"'_The boy saw a comet and suddenly his life had meaning. And when it went away he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought into his life. Direction, beauty, and meaning. There were many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them, but even in his darkest hours he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him and his world would be whole again and his belief in God and love and art would be reawakened in his heart.' You're my comet Peyton, my one true love. You always were and you always will be. And true love never dies," Lucas said loudly, making sure that Peyton heard every word. And if her halty steps were any indication, his words had affected her just as much as they had affected him._

_

* * *

  
_

_Well I've been running from something_

_Twenty years in my car_

_Down a road that's leading me nowhere_

_Yeah we drive through the farmland_

_No one knows where we're from_

_Could I kiss you and make you a queen?_

_Or something in between_

"So my dear, tortured friend, how did it go with Peyton?" Haley asked as she walked into Lucas' room that evening.

"Hales what are you doing here?" Lucas asked looking up surprised, "I thought Nathan had a game tonight."

"It got pushed back. Three players from the other team fell mysteriously ill today and they had to forfeit the game. So, Nate is at home taking care of the kids, and I am here," Haley explained.

"Ah aren't you a great friend," Lucas said smiling teasingly.

"That am I," Haley agreed nodding, "But back to the initial question, how did things go with Peyton?"

"Things with Peyton were—Wait how did you know that I talked to Peyton today? Were you stalking me?" Lucas asked suspiciously.

"Oh yeah, definitely. Like I have nothing better to do than stalk you," Haley scoffed, "I was leaving when Peyton came over asking for you. Karen told her that you were probably at the river court and she left without a word. I am pretty sure she then went to see you, and judging by your conflicted face, I would say that my assumption is right."

"I really need to stop hanging out with smart people," Lucas said grinning as he made space on his bed for Haley to sit.

"Oh shut up you loser, you know you love me," Haley said pouting.

"Unfortunately," Lucas said teasingly.

"Okay now that we have established that I was right, can we please get back to my question. I am dying of anticipation here," Haley said eagerly.

"Honestly, it was a disaster," Lucas said bluntly, "The outcome was the complete opposite of what I had expected it to be."

"What did you do? Or more importantly what did you say?" Haley asked urgently.

"What makes you think that the negative outcome was my fault?" Lucas asked.

"Because you my friend have the tendency to say the wrong things at the wrong times. And this most often happens when you're around Peyton, so I am pretty sure this time was no different," Haley said obviously, "So what stupid thing did you say to her this time?"

"I didn't say anything stupid okay," Lucas said irately, "All I did was tell her that I love her, that I have always loved her, and that I am going to fight for her this time. And she completely overreacted. I think I might have came off a little strong, but I don't see why it would make her so mad."

"You told her that you loved her?" Haley asked stunned, "Lucas that was by far the most idiotic thing you have ever done."

"What the hell? Why was it idiotic?" Lucas asked looking angry, "What's so bad about me telling her that I loved, especially if it is the truth."

"It was idiotic because you told her that you loved her ONE day after your wife left you. ONE day Luke, you signed the divorce papers this morning, for god's sake, and 3 hours later you're confessing your love to another woman. Tell me, how is that equation not screwed up?" Haley asked angrily.

"Look I know the timing wasn't right. I know that, but she was there acting all calm and nonchalant and I just had to tell her. I have wasted too much time already, and now that I am finally free, I want Peyton to know how I feel, for the first time I want to be honest with both her and myself," Lucas said passionately.

"Luke, I can understand that, but Peyton won't. All this is going to make her realize that you really are a git. You telling her that you love her less than 24 hours after your divorce probably makes her feel that she is a rebound for you, a play thing that you turn to when you have no one and leave when someone else comes along. I know that's not true," Haley said when she saw Lucas open his mouth to contradict her, "but she doesn't, and honestly Luke from past experiences you have given her no reason to believe that your words were real."

"I quoted a line from the Comet to her, she seemed affected by that. That should count for something right?" Lucas asked hopefully.

"Of course it counts for something," Haley said softly, feeling guilty for making Lucas so disheartened, "But Luke you have to remember, you always had a certain affect on Peyton, and you probably always will, but the main question here, can you make her trust you again. We all know that deep down inside she still loves you, but unless you can get her to trust you again, you probably won't be able to get in her heart again."

"I know, I know, and you're right. I wasn't thinking straight and now I have ended up making things worse, and this is just the prologue. Damn, I am a screw up," Lucas said berating himself.

_Do you want to see it?_

_The place where I am free?_

_Cos in my mind I need it_

_But you're nowhere near to me_

"Well what's done is done, Luke, there is no point in beating yourself about it now" Haley said softly placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "But now that you have, for the lack of a better term, dropped the love bomb on Peyton, what's the game plan?"

"Game plan?" Lucas asked looking confused.

"Yeah, game plan, as in what are you planning to do to get into Peyton's good graces. I don't know if you're aware of this, but just because you told Peyton that you love her doesn't mean that she'll just fall in your arms. Not this time Luke," Haley said seriously.

"I know that, Dan made that very clear last night. And I did tell Peyton that I will fight for her this time. I have to prove to her how much she really means to me, but the only problem is that I don't know how to. I am afraid of messing everything up again because like you said I am the king of screw ups when it comes to Peyton," Lucas confessed.

"Well you should have some sort of idea. I mean you know Peyton like the back of your hand, which is definitely a plus for you—"

"Hales I don't know if you have noticed this, but Peyton is a completely different person to me than she was 3 years ago. She's changed so much that I can't honestly say that I know her anymore," Lucas said regretfully.

"That's not true Luke. Her mannerism and her attitude might have changed, but on the inside Peyton she's the same Peyton she was in high school. She still loves music, and she draws from time to time. She might appear to be strong and independent from the outside, but on the inside she is still vulnerable, broken and in need of protection that only you can give her. The real essence that made Peyton Peyton is still there, you just have to find it," Haley said wisely.

"So what do I do, pledge my love for her in front of all of Tree Hill? The United States? The world? I'll shout it from the top of Mount Everest if it makes her believe me again. I am willing to do anything for her to look at me the way she used to 7 years ago," Lucas said desperately.

"I don't think shouting from the top of Mount Everest would be necessary. I am pretty sure she'll believe you before it comes to _that_ but then again with Peyton you never know," Haley said teasingly trying to lighten the mood.

"Hales, that's not funny," Lucas groaned, "My future is on the line here."

"Sorry, sorry, bad joke," Haley said holding up her hands in surrender, "But seriously Luke, I think you should start of slowly. Baby steps, you know. You don't want to take rash measures and completely freak Peyton out. She can be very uh, flighty under extreme pressures or sudden changes."

"So no public love confessions?" Lucas asked.

"No, no public love confession _yet_," Haley said emphasizing the yet, "That will be one of those big steps. First what you have to do is slowly break down her defenses, and that will not be accomplished by big, flashy publicity stunts. All that'll accomplish will be her thinking that you're trying to prove the world what a tragically heartbroken man you are, and that my friend has disaster written all over it. You need to connect to her on a personal level, remind her of your past, about what she means to you, and remind her that you're not going anywhere. She needs to know that you're serious this time, that you're not going to run away when things get hard. And I need to warn you, she's going to be extremely wary, skeptical and disbelieving in the beginning, but you can't let that dishearten you. You need to keep moving on, take her rejections with a brave face, because trust me there are going to be many. You're putting yourself into a situation that you've probably never experienced before, and it will bring a lot of heartbreak and angst, and you have to ask yourself, is Peyton worth all this pain? And if she is, then go for it, give it everything you've got, and I promise you Lucas the end result will make up for the all the pain and suffering the two of you went through in the past seven years," Haley lectured.

"Peyton is worth it, she's worth everything I am made up of and more," Lucas said passionately.

"Well then you have your answer Luke," Haley said smiling softly, "All I can say to you is that don't do anything rash, think your plans through, and please, please, don't let your ego and pride come in the way of your love again. There's only enough times a mistake can be rectified, and I have a feeling that this might be your last chance, so don't blow it."

"I won't Haley, I promise. I finally know what Peyton really means to me, and after coming so close to losing her for good, I know better than to turn my back against her this time," Lucas said seriously.

"Well then Luke, I wish you the best of luck," Haley said smiling, "And I want you to know that I am always here for you. If you need any help, advice, or just a reality check, I am always going to here for you, okay? Don't you ever forget that. You're not in this alone, I promise."

"Aww Hales, you're the best friend I guy could ask for, seriously. You're always there to save my butt, no matter what the situation is. I don't know where I would be without you," Lucas said honestly.

"Still in denial, that's for sure. But I guess I have to give Dan all the credit for taking you out of _that_. Honestly all I could think about when your mom told that Lindsay was gone, was _about time_," Haley said wrinkling her nose in obvious distaste.

"You're too good to be Hales. How the hell am I ever going to repay you for this?" Lucas asked seriously.

"You have to promise me that I will be the godmother of yours and Peyton's next baby," Haley said eagerly.

"How predictable Hales," Lucas said rolling his eyes, "But if we ever get that far, I promise that you'll be the godmother."

"You will get that far Luke, I have faith in your guys. After all, Lucas and Peyton are both parts of a puzzle that is only complete when they're together," Haley said simply, "Anyways it's getting pretty late, and after all this love talk, all I want to do is go home and be with my family."

"You're a lucky woman Hales, I hope you know that," Lucas said smiling softly.

"I do, Luke. Nathan and my kids are the best thing that happened to me. They're my life," Haley said nodding.

"I am happy for you, Hales because you and Nathan deserve all this, you guys really do. After all Naley is Always and Forever right?" Lucas said staring at the ceiling wistfully.

"You and Peyton deserve a happily ever after too Luke, and you will get one, you just need to keep faith," Haley said softly.

"I know, I know, I am just being a pansy," Lucas said grinning, "Now go home and give your family some loving. I'll see you later."

"Alright," Haley said pulling Lucas into a hug, "Take care, Luke."

"You too, Hales, and tell Nate I said hi," Lucas said walking Haley to the door.

"Get some sleep, you look like a zombie," Haley said teasingly as she stepped out in a chilly night air.

"I will. Nite," Lucas replied rolling his eyes.

_Move to New York City_

_Take your woman by the hand_

_Leave her there with your things on the doorstep_

_And there's no way around it_

_Could this be our last dance?_

_Just fall asleep with the TV darling_

_I'll be back again_

--

Once Haley was gone, Lucas slowly made his way back to his room, his mind still processing everything Haley had told him.

Falling on his bed with a sigh, he closed his eyes as the day's events finally caught up with him. So much had happened in one day, his tired mind was having trouble deciphering it all.

The only thing he knew was that he needed to come up with a plan. What could he do that is subtle but at the same time romantic and would tell Peyton that he is not going anywhere again.

As his eyes started feeling heavy, he got a sudden inspiration. His eyes snapped open and the more he ran the idea around his head the more it seemed to fit the description he was aiming for.

Satisfied for the first time all day, he finally laid back and put his mind to rest knowing that at least something had gone right that day. And soon enough, he was lulled to sleep, his dreams occupied by a certain blonde that held his heart.

--

The next morning, Peyton woke up at the crack of dawn. She hadn't been able to sleep all night, thanks to Lucas Scott, and his hypocritical words that kept echoing in his head like a mantra.

Disgusted by how much hold Lucas had over her even after 7 years, Peyton got up from her bed and made her way to the bathroom.

A couple of minutes she walked outside her wearing a running suit with her hair pulled into a high ponytail.

Going downstairs she got a water bottle out of the pantry and collecting the keys made her way outside. The second she walked outside, she felt the cold winter air hit her face immediately waking her up. There were a couple of reasons why she loved running in the mornings, when everyone was still sleeping and morning was still fresh. One, it was an extremely effective way to clear her head, which was something she desperately wanted right now, and two the morning air just made her feel alive and free.

Taking a couple of seconds to breathe in the dewy, cold air, she walked towards her car, and made her way to her usual running track. It was an extremely old track near the lake that ran for about one mile. Not many people went there because of its shabby condition, but Peyton felt some sort of a connection to that place. She loved running past the rows of trees that ran on both sides of the track, it made her feel exhilarated.

Nobody knew about this ritual of hers except for Brooke and unfortunately Lucas, since she had been down this ever since she was in high school. But this was not the time to be thinking of Lucas, she needed to clear her mind of everything related to that man, that was her main goal for the morning. However, Peyton would soon realize that going on the run that particular morning was probably the biggest mistake of her life.

Finally reaching her destination, Peyton parked her car in her usual spot near the river bank and walked towards the track. Immediately, she noticed that something was different this morning. She couldn't pinpoint it immediately, but after a second's examination, she realized that every other tree on the left hand side of the track had a red piece of paper sticking to it.

Curious, she walked towards the nearest tree, and carefully detached the note taped to the bark. Her eyes widened as she read the words on the red note card.

_That's me inside your head. [And this time, I mean literally]._

_I set out on a narrow way many years ago_

_Hoping I would find true love along the broken road_

_[That didn't work out since my heart had always belonged to you]_

_P.S: You're not a rebound and you never have been._

She nearly dropped the note in shock as she continued the reading the words. It didn't take a genius to figure out who the note was from. As her eyes traveled to the other note cards taped on trees in front of her, she couldn't help but wonder what he wrote on the rest of them. She knew the rational move would be to turn away and go home, and put Lucas and his note cards away from her mind, but she knew that was an impossible task. She knew she would be restless the whole day if she left right now, itching to find out what the other cards said. Rationalizing that she needed to see what the other cards had to say for the peace of her mind, Peyton purposefully walked towards the next tree and once again ripped the card from its bark.

_Nice hands_

_Nice legs [I still fantasize about them, you know]_

_But I got lost a time or two_

_Wiped my brow and kept pushing through_

_I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you_

_[I have always been a little slow, but this time it cost me the best thing of my life]_

_P.S: You're it for me, Peyton Sawyer_

Closing her eyes, Peyton attempted to slow down her heart that was pounding both from apprehension and the way his words were affecting her. But she had to be strong, she couldn't crumble against his words, everyone knew he was good with words and this time she couldn't fall for them, because in the end Lucas Scott was all words and no action, she wouldn't let herself fall in his trap again. But that resolve wasn't enough to prevent Peyton from reading the rest of his notes. She didn't know if it was because his words were so touching, or because this was probably the first time she was seeing him do something for her, but she was too curious for her own good to see what he had in store for her next.

_Your art matters. It's what got me here. _

_[Your art always manages to save me somehow. Would you believe me if I told you that I still have all your drawings?]_

_Every long lost dream led me to where you are_

_Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars_

_Pointing me on my way into your loving arms_

_[But I was too stubborn, too prideful to listen to any of them. Guess I am paying for that now, huh?]_

_P.S: I am not going anywhere ever again. _

She felt a small smile grace her lips as she read that he still had all her art work. Was it possible that he might be just telling the truth? But as soon as the uncertainty came into her head, she pushed it away. This was not the time to be thinking thoughts like these, she could not let his words weaken her. Clutching the note in her hand, she made her way to the fourth tree. The fourth note.

_It's not about what you say. It's about what you do. You don't like the person you've become? Then do something about it, 'cause no one's going to do it for you._

_I know, that's why I came by. I'm going to be making a few changes. And I just wanted to see you before I do. I'll be seeing you, Peyton._

_[I didn't learn from my mistakes the first time did I? But there will be changes Peyton, I promise. All I need is one more chance to prove you my worth]_

_This much I know is true_

_That God blessed the broken road_

_That led me straight to you_

_[My life is completely screwed up right now, but the one certain thing in my life right now is my love for you. That is one thing that will never waver ever again.]_

_P.S: I am willing to wait for you forever._

Peyton was surprised as their past tidbit he used in that notes. She could not believe that he still remembered that conversation they had after the whole Nikki fiasco. Apparently she had underestimated Lucas Scott. Shaking her slightly as a wave of nostalgia hit her, she tried to rid her mind of all the memories of her past, of _their _past, because opening that door was never a good idea. Adding the note the growing pile in her hand, she made her way to the fifth tree.

_At this moment, there are six billion, four hundred seventy million, eight hundred eighteen thousand, six hundred seventy one people in the world. Some… are running scared. Some… are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day. Others are just not facing the truth. Some are evil men, at war with good. And some are good, struggling with evil. Six billion people in the world, six billion souls. And sometimes…… All you need is one._

_[All I need right now is you, all I want right now is you. You're that one person for me Peyton Sawyer]_

_I think about the years I spent just passing through_

_I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you_

_[I wish I could go back and take back the past 7 years, save us both from all this heartache and pain, but I can't. All I can do is grovel for your forgiveness and hope that one day you'll find it in you to forgive me and love once again.]_

_P.S: I miss you_

That son of a bitch. He had used her own line against her, and not just any line, her trademark line, and then added that commentary in the end. God, she can never win against this guy. When she wanted him, he turned her back against her, and now that she wants to just move on, he keeps shoving their past in her face. This was really not fair on her. Looking up, she saw that there was only one more note card left. Feeling both a sense of disappointment and relief, she walked up to the last tree, wondering what Lucas' grand finale was.

_It's you. When all my dreams come true, the one I want next to me. It's you. It's you Peyton._

_[And you still are, you're my dream come true. As long as I have next to you, nothing else matters. I am never giving up on us again Peyton.]_

_But you just smile and take my hand_

_You've been there you understand_

_It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true_

_[I promise to you today that we will get our happily ever after, because we're both parts of a puzzle that is only complete when we're together. _

_One day Peyton Sawyer will become Peyton Scott.]_

_P.S. I love you._

Peyton read the last note a couple of times because it really sank it. This really was a the 'grand' finale. He had no right to do this. No right to recount the state championship, and he really didn't have the right to tell her that he loved her. Not when she knew that he didn't mean it. This wasn't fair on her. As she re-read all the six notes over again, she felt her heart harden. If Lucas thought that he could win her over with his sweet words he was horribly wrong. She wasn't going to let this affect her, she wasn't going to let Lucas just barge in her heart this time like she had done before, because now it wasn't only her that she was worried about. This time Allison was at stake too.

With the notes clutched tightly in her hand, she made her way to the river bank, and once she was there, she bent down and placed them in the water. And as she watched them float away from sight, she felt a sense of satisfaction course through her body. She had stood strong against his first obstacle, and that in itself was one hell of an accomplishment on her part.

--

Unbeknownst to Peyton, Lucas was hiding in between one of the trees watching her every move as she read his notes. He saw the conflicts, the smile, the anger on her face as she went through all of the notes. It wasn't much, but the fact that he could still incite strong emotions in her was definitely a plus for him.

It broke his heart to see her place his cards in the water, watching them float away with a look of satisfaction on her face, but Haley's words from last night echoed in his head, and he knew that he couldn't let this put him down, this was just the beginning, there was a lot more heartbreak to come. As he watched Peyton walk back to her car with a far away look on her face, he had to admit that for a first attempt his plan was pretty successful. After all, she had read all his cards instead of just ripping them up or walking away, that had to count for something right?

_In the morning it'll find you_

_Let the light shine away_

_Down a road that's leading me nowhere_

_And there's no way around it_

_Could this be our last dance?_

_Just fall asleep with the TV darling_

_I'll be back again_

_

* * *

_

**A/N:** So what do you think? Does that count for something?

Not much to say about this chapter, other than I hope you liked both the Lucas/Haley conversation and Lucas first attempt to show Peyton that he's serious!

I told you I would update yesterday, but I had SATs today and my mom forced me to go to bed early. But still a 2 day break, that's pretty damn good!

**POP QUIZ**

What is the song that I use in the note cards? [The lyrics on the six cards are continuation of each other] I'll give you the answer next chapter...if you didn't figure it put =]

For those of you confused by the structure of the note cards, tell me in your review or by PM and I will clarify it for you. But I hope it was pretty self explanatory!

**1000 REVIEW!** Holy s***! **70 **reviews for last chapter [and in TWO days]….Damn you guys are good!! Thank you so, so, much for every single review, it meant the world to me, and thank you for helping me reach 1000 reviews, you are all the best, and I love you all!

So, I have another incentive for you guys:

If, if I get 40 reviews by tomorrow [and after the turnout for last chapter…I know that it completely possible…I got 55 reviews the first day] then you'll get the next chapter tomorrow. If not, then the next chapter will probably up by Wednesday (either way you'll get the chapter, but 40 will get you a new chapter within a day.)

So if you're dying to know about what happens, leave a review!

By the way, Allison returns next chapter, so I have NOT forgotten about her! And well Lucas uses a more direct approach by giving her a….well keep guessing? LOL

Guess you'll find out tomorrow or Wednesday whichever one you guys decide!

With that said, I hope you liked the chapter and please **REVIEW!**

**Song:** _Twenty Years- Augustana_


	26. Because she was everything to him

Chapter 26: Because she was everything to him

**Dedication:** This chapter is dedicated to **Newbielpfanatic**, for the idea of Allison helping out Lucas without her even knowing it!

_Last Chapter:_

_It broke his heart to see her place his cards in the water, watching them float away with a look of satisfaction on her face, but Haley's words from last night echoed in his head, and he knew that he couldn't let this put him down, this was just the beginning, there was a lot more heartbreak to come. As he watched Peyton walk back to her car with a far away look on her face, he had to admit that for a first attempt his plan was pretty successful. After all, she had read all his cards instead of just ripping them up or walking away, that had to count for something right?_

_

* * *

__You wait, wanting this world_

_To let you in_

_And you stand there_

_A frozen light_

_In dark and empty streets_

_You smile hiding behind_

_A God-given face_

_But I know you're so much more_

_Everything they ignore_

_Is all that I need to see_

**3 Days Later**

"I am bored," Allison complained as she wandered aimlessly in the kitchen where Peyton was looking through a couple of records.

"Well honey what do you want to do?" Peyton asked looking up as her daughter plopped down on the seat next to her.

"I don't know," Allison said sighing, her eyes darting around the kitchen looking for something to do.

"Do you want to watch a movie, read a book, go to the record store?" Peyton asked throwing out a few ideas.

"No, all those are _very_ boring mommy," Allison said in a 'duh' voice, "I wish daddy was here, he always has something fun to do."

"Baby, I told you that daddy—"

"Did someone say my name?" Lucas' voice interrupted as he walked into the kitchen with a big smile on his face.

"Dad," Allison shrieked happily as she jumped off the chair she was sitting on and ran straight into the waiting arms of her dad.

"Hey Princess, how are you?" Lucas asked hugging his daughter giving her a small peck on the forehead.

"Lucas, what are you doing here?" Peyton asked surprised, "Weren't you leaving for LA today?"

"My flight got cancelled. Bad weather in LA or something," Lucas explained walking towards the table with Allison is his arms.

"Oh," Peyton said quietly not knowing what else to say.

Ever since that night in the rivercourt, things had been extremely awkward between the two, and the fact that Lucas had been leaving notes and letters on her morning track every day hadn't been helping matters either. What Peyton had learned about herself from the past 3 days, was that she absolutely no self control. Nada. She knew those notes and letters were from Lucas, and the smart move would have been to turn away without reading them and never look back. But Peyton had never been smart when it came to Lucas, she was too tempted, too curious to see what he had written this time. Every promise and proclamation of love on those note cards set her senses aflame, and no matter how much she tried, she just couldn't walk away from them. Not without reading them first at least. It was obvious that his words were affecting her again, no matter how hard she tried to keep the strong indifferent wall around herself, she could feel it slipping from her grasp every time she read his sweet words. But Peyton wasn't giving in, oh no, just because his words were playing with her heart didn't mean she was giving in. It would take much more than a couple of note cards with sweet words for her to trust Lucas Scott again.

"I missed you daddy," Allison said softly playing with Lucas' locket.

"I missed you too baby. I am sorry I couldn't come see you yesterday," Lucas apologized.

"It's okay, but you have to make up for it today," Allison said excitedly, her eyes shining happily.

"Anything for the princess," Lucas said grinning teasingly.

"Can we do something fun? I was so, so bored before you came," Allison said pouting.

"Course we can," Lucas said setting Allison in one of the kitchen stools, "We'll do whatever you want to do."

"Can we go to the park? We've never gone to the park together," Allison said contemplatively.

"Well you can blame the weather for that," Lucas said smiling, "It's been so cold ever since I came here, hardly what you call ideal park weather."

"So can we go today?" Allison asked eagerly.

"Sure if that's ok with your mom," Lucas said looking towards Peyton.

"Oh mommy can we go? Please, please, please will cherry on top," Allison said pleadingly jumping up and down in front of Peyton.

_You're the only one I ever believed in_

_The answer that could never be found_

_The moment you decided to let love in_

_Now I'm banging on the door of an angel_

_The end of fear is where we begin_

_The moment we decided to let love in_

"Sure you can," Peyton said smiling at the look of pure joy on her daughter's face, "It's a beautiful day out there after months, you won't even have to bundle up."

"Yay," Allison shouted happily smiling from ear to ear, "Did you hear that daddy, mommy said we can go."

"Yes, she did. So why don't you go get your sweater, and then we'll go," Lucas suggested.

"Okay mommy let's go," Allison said holding out her hand to Peyton.

"Where?" Peyton asked confused.

"You have to get ready, don't you?" Allison asked.

"Um no," Peyton said slowly.

"Are you coming to the park in your night suit?" Allison asked, her eyes with the prospect. Her mother had never left the house in just her night suit.

"No, of course not. I am not coming with the park with you sweetie," Peyton said softly.

"What? Why not?" Allison asked upset, "You said we can go."

"I said _you_ can go with your dad. I didn't say anything about myself," Peyton said calmly.

"But I want you to come with us," Allison said tearfully.

"Honey, I would love to come with you, but I have a lot of work to do," Peyton lied.

"No you don't. You told Aunt Brooke that you finished all your work last night," Allison said angrily, "You just don't want to come with me."

"Baby that's not true," Peyton said weakly.

"Yes, it is," Allison said defiantly.

"Al, you always have such a good time with your daddy. Why do you want me to come with you this time?" Peyton asked.

"Because I want you, me and daddy to all go to the park together. Like Aunt Haley and Uncle Nathan does. They _always_ go to the park with Jamie and Nat," Allison cried out.

"But that never bothered you before honey," Peyton said trying to understand why Allison was getting so upset.

"I am not doing," Allison said as she turned and ran out of the kitchen.

"Allison, Ally, wait," Lucas and Peyton shouted as they both ran after her.

"Al listen to me, baby," Peyton said once Lucas had caught her securely in his arms.

"No. I am not going if you're not coming. Let me go," Allison said stubbornly resisting against Lucas' grip.

"I am coming, I am coming. Calm down, please," Peyton said softly as she took Allison from Lucas, "If you want me to come with you, then I am coming."

"Really?" Allison asked tearfully.

"Really," Peyton nodded kissing Allison cutely on the nose.

"You'll have fun mommy, I promise," Allison said wiping away her tears.

"With you for company, I bet I am going to have fun," Peyton said laughing.

"Daddy's pretty fun too," Allison said matter of factly.

"I know he is," Peyton said smiling softly, "So why don't you let him get you ready, while I go change, okay?"

"Okay," Allison said grinning as she gave Peyton a bone crushing hug, "Thank you mommy, you're the best."

"Anything for you baby, anything for you," Peyton said smiling softly as she turned and made her way upstairs.

"Alright princess, let's get you ready," Lucas said grinning. After watching the interaction between Peyton and Allison, he had no doubt that that was how he wanted the rest of his life to be. And as he carried his daughter upstairs, he felt his heart swell with pride and love towards his daughter. She had just unknowingly proved to him that she was on his side, that she was in favor of getting him and Peyton together. And he knew that she would be his biggest support system as his fight for Peyton continued on.

_I wish_

_Wishing for you to find your way_

_And I'll hold on for all you need_

_That's all we need to say_

_I'll take my chances while_

_You take your time with_

_This game you play_

_But I can't control your soul_

_You need to let me know_

_You leaving or you gonna stay_

--

**15 minutes later**

"Mommy are you ready yet?" Allison called out for the fifth time as she paced in front of Peyton's bedroom.

"Jeez Al, you've got to be the most impatient person I have ever met," Lucas said grinning teasingly as he saw the impatient look on Allison's face as she waited for Peyton.

"You haven't see anything yet," Peyton said rolling her eyes as she walked out of her room wearing a simple pair of skinny jeans and a white tank top with a leather jacket on top.

"You still have this jacket?" Lucas asked surprised as he looked closely as the worn black jacket.

"Of course I do," Peyton said, shocked that he had recognized Ellie's jacket even though he hadn't seen it in years, "You didn't expect me throw it away did you?"

"No, no of course not, it just surprised me, seeing it after so long," Lucas explained.

"I am surprised that you still remember it," Peyton confessed.

"I remember everything about us, Peyton. Every little detail. You're not that easy to forget," Lucas said passionately.

"You could have fooled me," Peyton said shortly walking towards the door, "My car or yours?"

"Mine," Lucas said quietly, "Allison and I packed some picnic lunch, I hope you don't mine."

"How in the world did you make a picnic lunch in 15 minutes?" Peyton asked in wonderment.

"Aunt Brooke left us sandwiches for lunch and me and daddy put them and juice in a picnic basket. Ta dah picnic lunch ready," Allison said cutely.

"Aren't you a smart one," Peyton said teasingly locking the front door behind her as the family made their way to the car.

"Hey I helped too," Lucas said pretending to be offended.

"Well I always knew that you were a manipulator, so no surprises there," Peyton said with a hint of contempt in her voice.

"You know I would take it all back if I could," Lucas said seriously.

"Too bad you don't have a time machine," Peyton said stiffly.

"Peyton why are you acting like this?" Lucas asked quietly, noting that Allison was watching their every move.

"I am sorry," Peyton sighed after a couple of seconds, "I guess I was a little harsh."

"It's okay, but just so you know, Allison's watching our every move," Lucas said nodding his head towards their daughter who was now securely fastened in her car seat.

"Right, thanks," Peyton said softly.

"Mommy are you upset?" Allison asked as Lucas and Peyton got into the car.

"No honey, why would you say that?" Peyton asked fixing a smile on her face.

"You seemed angry at daddy," Allison said quietly.

"She's not angry at me princess, we were just talking," Lucas said intervening in the conversation.

"Promise?" Allison asked still uncertain.

"Promise," Peyton said giving Allison a small smile.

"Sorry," Peyton whispered turning towards Lucas, guilt etched over her face. She was confused and she was upset, but that didn't give her any right to take her frustration on Lucas, even though he was the source of her problems. He didn't deserve to be snapped at right now, especially not in front of Allison.

"Which park are we going to?" Allison asked.

"I don't know you tell me," Lucas said.

"Can we go to the one next to the lake? It has ducks and lots of swings," Allison said excitedly.

"Sure, but I doubt you'll find any ducks. It's still pretty cold for them to be out in the water," Lucas said.

"It's okay. I think I'll have more fun with you and mommy than with the ducks," Allison said seriously.

"Well I really hope we live up to your high expectations," Peyton said teasingly.

"You will, mommy. You, me and daddy are going to make a good team. I know it," Allison said confidently.

_You're the only one I ever believed in_

_The answer that could never be found_

_The moment you decided to let love in_

_Now I'm banging on the door of an angel_

_The end of fear is where we begin_

_The moment we decided to let love in_

--

**1 hour later**

"Wow, that was so much fun," Allison gasped as she leaned against Lucas' shoulder.

"It was," Peyton agreed laughing.

"No, that was completely unfair," Lucas grumbled playfully.

"No it wasn't fair. You need to be a man daddy and just admit that you lost," Allison said grinning.

"It was 2 against 1," Lucas complained placing Allison on their picnic mat.

"Oh stop being such a wuss Luke, Allison is less that half your size and you weigh 5 times more than me. That was completely fair," Peyton said grinning teasingly.

"Are you calling me fat?" Lucas asked with a mock gasp.

"Not really, but now that you mentioned it you do look kinda chubby. That mixed with the slowness and the lack of movement makes me thinking that someone is not working out these days," Peyton said teasingly.

"You wound me with your harsh words Peyton Sawyer," Lucas said dramatically.

"Hey Aunt Brooke said the same thing last night," Allison said sitting up against Lucas' chest.

"Your mommy is just fast with her tongue, Al," Lucas said grinning thinking back to all of Peyton's signature comebacks, "Her comebacks are my favorite, the most epic one, _First of all you don't know me. Second of all you don't know me. God, why are guys such jerks_."

"Hey that is not fair. I did not know you back then," Peyton said defensively.

"Sure, that's your excuse," Lucas said playfully.

"Mommy I am hungry," Allison said before Peyton could reply.

"The picnic basket is in the car. I'll go get it," Lucas offered as he got up.

"So Ally, having fun?" Peyton asked once Lucas was gone.

"Yeah, this is the best trip to the park ever. I told you that you, daddy and me make a good team together," Allison said smugly.

"We do, huh," Peyton said thoughtfully as the past hour replayed in her head.

"I love it when you, me and daddy do things together. Like a real family," Allison said thoughtfully after a couple of seconds.

"Oh look, there's something on your cheek," Peyton said quickly trying to change the subject. These were the not things she needed to be hearing from Allison. If Lucas' words weren't bad enough, Allison saying stuff like this would completely drive her to the edge.

"What is it?" Allison asked eagerly.

"It's an eyelash," Peyton said softly as she picked the little lash in his finger and held it up for Allison to see, "Make a wish baby and blow on the eyelash."

"Will it make the wish come true?" Allison asked.

"That's the common theory, yes," Peyton affirmed.

"Okay, I wish that you, me and daddy become a real family and we live happily ever after," Allison said softly as she blew on the little lash on her mother's finger.

"You're not supposed to say your wishes out loud Al," Peyton whispered stunned at what she had heard her daughter wish for.

"I know, but I wanted you to hear my wish," Allison said innocently.

"Oh," Peyton croaked out.

"Mommy?" Allison asked a minute later.

"Yeah," Peyton said turning her attention towards her daughter and away from the tree she had been gazing at for the last minute trying to process her murky thoughts.

"Do you believe in happily ever after?" Allison asked thoughtfully.

"I used to," Peyton said taken aback by her out of the blue question, "but not anymore."

"Why not?" Allison asked curiously.

"As you grow up you realize that not everything happens the way you want it to be, and sometimes because of that you end up getting hurt in the process. I have been hurt way too many times to believe in something so fantastical as happily ever after," Peyton said softly.

"Why were you hurt mommy? Did someone hit you? Can I make it better?" Allison asked worried.

"It was a long time ago sweetie. And you've already done more than enough to make it better. Everyday when you hug me or kiss me and tell me that you love me, I get better. You're the reason I am here baby," Peyton said softly.

"Then I should hug you and kiss you all the time," Allison said grinning.

"Well that certainly would be nice," Peyton said as she puller Allison closer to her body.

_There's nothing we can do about_

_The things we have to do without_

_The only way to feel again_

_Is let love in_

"Do you think daddy believes in happily ever after?" Allison asked a couple of minutes later.

"I don't know," Peyton said honestly.

"I am going to ask him when he gets back," Allison said.

"Ask him what?" Lucas asked suddenly appearing behind Peyton and Allison with the picnic basket in his hand.

"Daddy where did you come from?" Allison asked surprised.

"I just dropped from the sky," Lucas said playfully.

"Haha, very funny daddy," Allison said giggling as Lucas sat next to her on the blanket

"Thank you," Lucas said doing a little curtsey.

"So what were you going to ask me?" Lucas asked taking out the ham sandwiches from the basket.

"Oh yeah, I was going to ask you if you believe in happily ever after," Allison said turning towards Lucas, her eyes wide in anticipation for his answer.

"Happily ever after?" Lucas repeated.

"Yeah," Allison nodded, "Do you believe in it?"

"Yes, I do," Lucas answered a couple of seconds later, looking directly at Peyton as he uttered the 3 words.

"Really?" Allison asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Lucas confirmed.

"Mommy doesn't believe in happily ever after. She said she used to, but not anymore," Allison said.

"I guess I had something to do with that," Lucas said so quietly that only Peyton was able to hear him.

"But isn't happily after only for prince and princesses?" Allison asked a couple of minutes later while munching on her sandwich.

"No, why would you say that?" Lucas asked.

"Because in all my books only the prince and princess live happily ever after. It never says anything about other people," Allison replied.

"That's not true. Everyone can have a happily ever after," Lucas said.

"Then the books are lying?" Allison asked indignantly.

"The books aren't lying honey. You're not going to understand it right now, but there is a difference in the fairytale happily ever after and the real life happily ever after. In the books the prince and the princess fall in love, marry and then live happily ever after. Nothing happens after that. But real life happily ever after is very different and so much more meaningful. Yes, it involves people falling in love, and maybe getting married, but it doesn't end there. Finding a person who you love unconditionally, who means the world to you and the feeling you get whenever you hold them in your arm, that's happily ever after. It's the feeling you get every time you're around them, the pounding of the heart, the crazy butterflies racing in the pit of your stomach, the fact that just one look at them takes your breath away, that's what true love is. That's what happily ever after is," Lucas said passionately forgetting that he was talking to his 3 year old daughter. His eyes never left Peyton's throughout the whole tirade, and he knew that his speech had affected her somehow. He couldn't exactly place the emotions in her eyes, but he knew that he had touched something inside of her.

"Was Lindsay your princess daddy?" Allison asked a couple of seconds later.

"No, she wasn't," Lucas said simply.

"Then who is?" Allison asked curiously.

"I—"

"Allison if you're done with your sandwich why don't we head over to the swings. They're finally empty now," Peyton said firmly interrupting whatever answer Lucas was about to give.

"Yeah, I am done," Allison said cleaning her hands with a napkin.

"Okay why don't you head towards the swings, we'll be right there," Lucas said nudging Allison towards the direction of the playground.

"What the hell was that?" Lucas asked turning towards Peyton once Allison was gone.

"What was what?" Peyton asked coldly.

"Why did you interrupt me like that?" Lucas asked angrily.

"Because I didn't want to hear anymore false proclamations of love, and I didn't want my daughter to be exposed to them either. She's extremely vulnerable right now, I can't, I _can't_ have you say stuff like that and then turn your back on your words whenever you feel like it," Peyton said her eyes glaring dagger at the man in front of her.

"How long will it take for you to realize that I might just be sincere this time? I am not going anywhere Peyton. I've already told you that a thousand times. I am done running away," Lucas said firmly.

"That's your usual mantra Lucas, I can't believe anything coming out of your mouth anymore," Peyton said as she turned to walk away.

"Did you get my notecards?" Lucas asked grabbing her arm before she could walk any further.

"Just give it up, Lucas. I am not coming back to you. You're fighting a lost cause here," Peyton said firmly as she tried to take her hand out of his grasp.

"No, I am not. And I can promise you that you're going to be singing a different tune very soon. Lucas said sincerely. I am not giving up on you, on us, this time, Peyton. I am willing to wait forever if that's how long it takes you to forgive and trust me again," Lucas said sincerely.

"Why are you doing this Luke?" Peyton asked weakly, her resolve weakening by the intensity of his glare.

"Because I love you, and because you mean everything to me," Lucas said softly as he finally released Peyton's arm. And with a last loving glance, he turned around and made his way to where Allison was playing on the swings, leaving a stunned Peyton to her conflicting thoughts.

_You're the only one I ever believed in_

_The answer that could never be found_

_The moment you decided to let love in_

_Now I'm banging on the door of an angel_

_The end of fear is where we begin_

_The moment we decided to let love in_

_

* * *

_**A/N:** Crap? I think so.

I am so sorry for not updating on Wednesday, but this week had been absolute hell for me. I am functioning on 4 hours of sleep for the past 3 nights, and as I result, I am pretty sure my lack of sleep was apparent in this chapter!

I hope you guys liked Allison in the chapter, because well like you can tell she played a pretty major role in causing Peyton lots and lots of internal dilemma!

Are you glad that she's unknowingly on Lucas' side? Do you think that she'll make Lucas' job a little easier?

Anyways, next chapter moves to next week where Peyton and Allison will be out of town (still in the chapter, but just not in Tree Hill). Haley uses that to Lucas' advantage, and Lucas goes on national TV….hmmm 10 guesses to what it's about! Operation Fighting for Peyton goes to a whole new level next chapter, and I am really excited to see how that turns out to be.

Also, thank you, thank you so much for all the amazing reviews for last chapter! 50 reviews! Damn you guys are spoiling me. [I have gotten **120 **reviews combined for the last 2 chapters…that's one hell of an accomplishment! Thanks guys 3]

I would also like to tell you guys that after the hell week I have had, the teachers decided to tone it down a bit, which means that I have absolutely no homework over the weekend. So, another incentive, if I get **40** reviews by tomorrow, your next chapter will be up by Sunday, (seriously! No lies this time) and if not then I guess you'll have to wait till Tuesday or Wednesday for the new update. Because seriously it's going to take a lot of motivation for me to sit down on a Sunday and write a 5,000 word chapter.

And don't forget, every time we reach the 200 review mark (like 1200, 1400…) you guys get 2 chapters within a span of 3 days without any incentives! We're 114 away from 1200, so honestly the rate of the updates depend on you guys.

With that said, I hope you guys liked the chapter, and please, please, **REVIEW!**

**Song:**_ Let love in- Goo Goo Dolls_


	27. Walls starting to crumble

Chapter 27: Walls starting to crumble

**Dedication:** This chapter is dedicated to **Kiri**, for Haley's game plan idea!

_Last Chapter:_

"_Because I love you, and because you mean everything to me," Lucas said softly as he finally released Peyton's arm. And with a last loving glance, he turned around and made his way to where Allison was playing on the swings, leaving a stunned Peyton to her conflicting thoughts._

_

* * *

__Step out the door and it feels like rain_

_That's the sound on your window pane_

_Take to the streets but you can't ignore_

_That's the sound you're waiting for_

**2 days later**

"I don't want to go to Charlotte," Allison complained for the 15th time in the past hour.

"Ally we have been over this a million times already, we are going to Charlotte whether you like it or not," Peyton said impatiently.

"But why?" Allison asked whining.

"Because grandpa is back from the sea for the weekend and he wants us to visit him," Peyton explained rolling her eyes.

"Why couldn't grandpa Larry come to Tree Hill?" Allison demanded.

"Because I offered to go visit him. He's home for the weekend to relax not drive to Tree Hill," Peyton said on her last nerve now.

"That's not fair," Allison protested loudly.

"Lifer's usually not fair honey. Think of this as your first hurdle, okay?" Peyton asked joking, "And anyways why are you so upset? You usually love going to Charlotte."

"Because I wanted daddy to come with us," Allison said pouting, "Why couldn't he have come with us? He knows grandpa Larry right?"

"Yes, he does know grandpa but—"

"You should have asked him to come with us," Allison said firmly, "Now I won't be able to see him for 2 days."

"Not seeing your dad for 2 days is not going to kill you," Peyton said rolling your eyes.

"You don't know that," Allison said dramatically doing a perfect imitation of Brooke.

"You've got to stop acting like Brooke. It's creepy," Peyton said looking at Allison from the rearview mirror.

"Don't change the subject mommy," Allison said stubbornly.

"Honey why are you being so stubborn about this?" Peyton asked impatiently, "Grandpa Larry loves us and he misses us—"

"Daddy loves us too," Allison cut in.

"No daddy loves _you_," Peyton pointed out.

"Nuh uh. Last night I heard Aunt Brooke telling you that daddy loves you more than anything in the word, except for me of course, and Aunt Brooke never lies," Allison said matter of factly.

"Al you need to stop eavesdropping in our conversation. There is a reason we don't talk about all this stuff in front of you," Peyton said exasperatedly.

"I wasn't eves- whatever it is. I needed to go to the bathroom and as I was coming back I heard you and Aunt Brooke fighting, I just wanted to see what was going on," Allison said innocently, "And what's so bad about daddy loving you?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing, because he doesn't love me," Peyton said agitated.

"So you're calling Aunt Brooke a liar?" Allison probed with wide eyes.

"Yes, I mean no, oh I don't know," Peyton said finally reaching her breaking point, "Can we please drop this Ally?"

But Allison didn't seem to be listening to her mother. She continued on as if Peyton hadn't spoken.

"Because I think that daddy does love you, and I think you love him too."

"I do not love Lucas, Ally," Peyton said her hand gripping hard on the steering wheel.

"You do too, I can tell," Allison said stubbornly, "And I think it's awesome. Cuz if you love daddy and daddy loves you than you guys can get married and we'll finally be a real family."

"Allison who have you been talking to recently? You weren't so into all this family issue until a week ago," Peyton asked shocked, feeling a migraine coming.

"Well Lindsay gone right? Jamie told me that you and daddy can't get married like his parents because daddy was already married to Lindsay, and you can't be married to two women at the same time. So now that Lindsay's gone, you're daddy's princess and you guys can live happily ever after," Allison said happily, her eyes shining with hope.

After Allison's little speech, Peyton felt the urge to pull the car to the side and throw up. She couldn't bear seeing her daughter's hopeful face, while knowing that all he was hoping for would never come true. How would she explain to a 3 year old that things between her and Lucas are irreparable? How can she tell her that her dream of having a perfect family one day might never come true? How could she break her daughter like that? But she knew that she had to do it. Allison already knew too much and she had to put a stop to it. She knew it would hurt her but leading her on would end in worst consequences.

_If ever your world starts crashing down_

_Whenever your world starts crashing down_

_Whenever your world starts crashing down_

_That's where you'll find me_

"Al, honey," Peyton started in what she hoped was a steady voice, "I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself here."

"What? Why?" Allison asked confused.

"Look baby I know you want me and your daddy to get together, and for us to be a perfect family, but honey you have to realize that even if Lucas and I don't get married, we will still always be there for you. You are never going to be alone, your daddy are going to make sure of that whether we are together or not," Peyton said, feeling tears behind her eyes.

"But you are going to get together right?" Allison asked hesitantly.

"I don't think so, sweetie. Your dad and I, we're just too far gone to make our way back to each other again. I know your dad has something up his sleeve but I am done putting my heart on the line just to have it crushed every single time. I know you don't understand this, and that this will be painful for you to hear, but I don't want to give you any false hope. Things between your daddy and I are very confusing, but I am pretty sure that we're not going to be getting together," Peyton said softly, a stray tear making its way down her cheek.

"But he loves you," Allison said softly, her voice breaking.

"Sometimes love isn't enough baby," Peyton said regretfully, her heart breaking at the pained look on her daughter's face.

"It's not fair," Allison whispered, turning her head so she was now looking out of the window instead of her mother's face through the rearview mirror.

"I know Al, I know, and I am sorry, I am so, so sorry," Peyton said softly wishing she could just hold her daughter in her arms and comfort her. But she knew Allison wouldn't want to cuddle up to her right now, not after what she had just told her.

The next 15 minutes felt like 15 hours to Peyton, the silence in the car suffocating her as Allison's words kept repeating like a mantra in her head. She needed to talk to someone, she needed to do something other than driving and listening to cheesy songs in the radio, because both of these actions just let her mind to the one person she was trying to steer clear off. The one person she was trying to get away from at least for the weekend, but she had realized very soon that no matter how far she is from him, he is always somewhere lurking in the corner. He was like a permanent pest in her life, something she could never get rid off, never get away from. But the good question was, did she want him to go away? Would she be able to live if she didn't have a constant reminder of him somewhere? Because no matter how much it hurt her to be near him, it hurt 10 times worse when he wasn't there.

Finally after 5 more excruciating minutes, Allison spoke, "Can I call daddy?"

"Uh yeah, sure. But I am pretty sure he'll be sleeping right now. It's pretty early," Peyton said checking the time.

"He said I can call him whenever I want to, and I want to right now," Allison said defiantly.

"Okay," Peyton said handing her cell phone to her daughter, "You remember the number?"

"Yeah," Allison mumbled already busy dialing Lucas.

"Hello," a groggy voice answered from the other end.

"Hey daddy, it's me," Allison said softly.

"Hey princess," Lucas greeted all signs of sleep gone from his voice, "How are you? Are you in Charlotte yet?"

"No, we're in the car. I just wanted to talk to you," Allison explained.

"Is everything okay?" Lucas asked detecting something off in Allison's voice.

"Everything's fine. I miss you though," Allison said honestly.

"I miss you too princess," Lucas said softly, "But you'll be back before you know it, I promise."

"I don't think I'll have fun in Charlotte without you," Allison complained.

"Why not? Your grandpa Larry is an extremely fun person, I had a lot of fun when I was with him," Lucas said attempting to cheer up her daughter.

"You know grandpa Larry?" Allison asked interested.

"Of course I know him, he's one of the coolest guys I have met," Lucas replied.

"Did grandpa Larry like you?" Allison probed on.

"Yeah, I am pretty sure he did, why?" Lucas asked confused.

"Well then you should have come to Charlotte with mommy and me. We would all have had so much fun," Allison said, "You should come right now, you know where he lives right?"

"Sorry kiddo, but as much as I would love to spend the weekend in Charlotte, I can't. I have an interview for my movie tomorrow in Tree Hill and I can't miss that," Lucas said apologetically. While this wasn't necessarily a lie, it wasn't the reason why Lucas declined Allison's offer. He knew Peyton wanted this weekend away from him to clear her mind, and he wanted to respect her wishes, and give her the space she so desperately needed. He couldn't push her boundaries because he knew that if he pushed her too hard, he would end up losing her, and honestly this was not the time for taking uncertain chances like this one. If Peyton wanted to take a weekend away from him, then he would give that to her. Did that mean he would stop fighting for her? Hell no. In fact, this weekend he would bring his efforts up a notch.

"Can't you cancel the movie thing?" Allison asked pleadingly.

"I wish I could princess, but it's final. I can't change it even if I wanted to, I am sorry," Lucas said apologetically.

"So I won't see you till Monday. That's 2 whole days," Allison cried.

"I'll come see you when you get back tomorrow night. I'll tuck you in bed and read you 2 bedtime stories. How does that sound?" Lucas asked.

"You promise?" Allison asked sniffling.

"I promise," Lucas affirmed.

"Okay, I have to hang up now, but I have one more question to ask you," Allison said.

"Shoot," Lucas asked interested.

"First I want you to promise me that you're going to tell me the truth," Allison said.

"I promise. Can I get my question now?" Lucas asked getting more curious by the minute.

"Can you wait a second?" Allison answered as she took the phone away from her ear and put in on the speakerphone, "Okay I am ready. The question I wanted to ask you was, do you love mommy?"

Peyton who had not been paying much attention to the conversation going on in the backseat, nearly choked at Allison's question. Did she really just ask Lucas if he loved her?

"Daddy?" Allison asked when Lucas didn't respond immediately.

"Yes, yes I do love your mommy. She means the world to me," Lucas answered a couple of seconds later, and this time Peyton did actually choke. This was not the answer she was looking for, not in front of Allison at least.

"Thanks daddy, I was hoping you would say that," Allison said sweetly, "I'll talk to you later okay, I love you."

"I love you too princess, take care of yourself and your mom for me, okay. Bye," Lucas said and with a final kiss, Allison hung up the phone.

Once Allison had handed the phone back to Peyton, all she did was look directly in her mother's eyes through the rearview mirror and said, "I told you so!"

_Yeah God love your soul and your aching bones_

_Take a breath, take a step, meet me down below_

_Everyone's the same_

_our fingers to our toes_

_We just can't get it right_

_But we're on the road_

--

**10 p.m that night**

"Peyton honey, are you okay?" Larry asked as he walked into the living room to find Peyton staring aimlessly at the fireplace.

"I am fine dad, just tired. Is Allison asleep?" Peyton asked putting a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, she's out. But I have to say that girl has way too much energy. I feel older every time I am around her," Larry said jokingly.

"Yeah you have to keep her entertained all the time, or she'll drive you crazy. Most people have trouble keeping up with her," Peyton said laughing.

"Except for Lucas," Larry said lightly.

"Except for Lucas," Peyton agreed, "That guy was built with the perfect parenting DNA inside of him. He's so good with Allison it's ridiculous," Peyton said contemplatively.

"That's a good thing right?" Larry asked looking at his daughter's vacant face.

"It is, of course it is. Allison needs Lucas in her life. She loves him so, so much and he loves her back with equal fervor," Peyton said softly.

"I realized. The way she was talking about him, I could immediately tell what big of a part he played in her life. She missed him today, she tried not to show it, but she did," Larry said.

"Of course she did, that girl can't get enough of her father. She can spend every waking minute of her day with him and it still won't be enough," Peyton agreed.

"Someone sounds jealous," Larry said teasingly.

"I am not—okay maybe a little bit," Peyton confessed as her father's eyes bore into hers, "It's not like I am jealous of the time they spend together or anything, I am just worried that one day Allison will realize that she only needs Lucas in her life, and I will be forgotten."

"Peyton that's the most absurd fear I have heard in my entire life, and trust me I have heard many crazy ones. You're never going to take a backseat to Lucas in Allison's life. She needs you both equally, and just because she likes spending time with Lucas doesn't mean that she loves him more, or something like that. The girl just found her daddy after years of wishing that he would walk into her life, she wants to make up for all the time she missed with him, and he wants to do the same," Larry said trying to put his conflicted daughter to ease.

"I am being stupid aren't I?" Peyton asked smiling.

"Just a little. But I have to admit, Lucas is pretty good company," Larry said smirking.

"Not funny dad," Peyton said rolling her eyes.

"What, I am being serious," Larry said, "I wish you had invited him over this weekend. It would have been fun."

"He was busy this weekend, a movie interview to do or something," Peyton mumbled turning her gaze back towards the fireplace.

"Or maybe you just didn't want him here," Larry added.

"He did have a movie interview, I am not lying," Peyton said defensively.

"I know he does, I called him a couple of hours ago and he told me. But what if he didn't have the movie interview? Would you have invited him then?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. I wanted to spend the weekend with you dad, just me, you and Allison. It's been so long since I have seen you, I missed you," Peyton said talking around the question.

"I missed you too honey," Larry sighed, "But when are you going to start being honest with yourself?"

'What do you mean?" Peyton asked confused.

"This trip, it wasn't just to come visit me. While it might have been one reason, it wasn't the sole reason. You came here to get away from Lucas didn't you?" Larry asked insightfully.

"No- I- How did you know?" Peyton asked brokenly.

"You have been in your own little world ever since you got here. You're physically here, but your mind is miles away. You've barely said two words to me, and there are so many emotions swirling in your eyes that I don't even know where to begin with. And every time I have seen you this messed up, it has always had something to do with Lucas," Larry said matter of factly.

"It's too complicated dad. I wish I could talk to you about it, but in order to do that I need to get my thoughts first. They're so screwed up that I am surprised I am actually sitting here talking to you. I mean I knew that letting Lucas into my life again would be conflicting, but I didn't count on it to be so hard. Especially now that he's divorced and completely intent on winning me back when I don't want anything to do with him," Peyton said aggravated.

"I don't think that's true?" Larry noted.

"What part? The one with him being intent on winning me back? Because I am 100 percent behind—"

"I meant the you not wanting anything to do with Lucas part," Larry interrupted, "Come on Peyton, I know you. I know that you loved Lucas 8 years ago and I know you still love him today. You don't want to admit it because you think that it will lead to heartbreak once again—"

"I don't _think_ I _know_. Letting Lucas in my heart again has disaster written all over it," Peyton said bitterly.

"Well you don't have to worry about that," Larry said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?" Peyton asked looking up.

"I mean that you don't have to worry about letting him in your heart again because he's already there. He never let Peyton, no matter how much you wished him gone. Like I was saying before you interrupted me, you're desperately holding on to your denial, but honey how long do you think you'll be able to use your denial as a cover up for your true feelings? It will slip one day," Larry said wisely.

"I thought you were on my side. I mean I might be wrong but most fathers are on their daughter's sides not on the side of the man who had broken her so many times," Peyton said sarcastically.

"I am on your side Peyton. I will always be on your side because I am your father and I want the best for you. And most importantly, I want to see you happy. Despite what Lucas has done to you, he's the only man who is capable to making you completely happy. You can't love another man the way you love him because your heart already belongs to someone else, you learned that lesson with Julian. Love is hard honey, and it's painful, but in the end it's the best blessing you can ask for. You have faced more hardship in love than anyone I know, and I think it's time for your happy ending," Larry said softly.

"I don't believe in happy ending. I stopped believing in them the second he said I do to Lindsay in that church 3 years ago," Peyton said angrily.

"Well it's time to start believing in it again don't you think?" Larry asked.

"What if it backfires on me again? What if I let him again and he just ends up breaking me again? What if I just end up where I was 8 years ago? I nearly died the last time dad, I don't think I can handle another repeat of that," Peyton said vulnerably.

"The past 3 years have taught him a lot Peyton. He's not going to make the same mistakes again," Larry promised.

"How do you know?" Peyton asked quietly.

"Because now he knows how it feels to lose you. He never wants to go through that pain again," Larry answered, "Anyways, you've had a long day and it's getting pretty late. Why don't you go and get ready for bed?"

"Yeah, I'll do that," Peyton said getting up.

"Get some sleep Peyton, don't spend the whole night over thinking about all this, let life take its own course for once. Who knows it might just lead to the right way," Larry said as he kissed his daughter lightly on the cheek.

"Thanks dad," Peyton said as she enveloped him into a hug, feeling comfort wash through her body.

"I am here anytime you need me, honey," Larry said wiping a couple of stray tears off Peyton's face.

"You called him didn't you?" Peyton asked as she stepped out of her dad's embrace.

"I did. Did you seriously think I was taking his side without giving him a piece of my mind first?" Larry asked smiling.

"I knew it," Peyton said shaking her head.

"Good night Peyton," Larry said not wanting to divulge too much about his conversation with Lucas.

"Good night Dad, and you might not tell me the whole story right now, but I will get it out of you," Peyton said as she made her way to her room.

"Do you what you can," Larry said laughing as he turned off the living room lights and made his way to his room pleased that he had made some progress in opening Peyton up.

_If ever your will starts crashing down_

_Whenever your will starts crashing down_

_Whenever your will starts crashing down_

_That's when you find me._

**--**

In her room, Peyton opened her laptop wanting to check her email one last time before she went to bed.

As she logged into her email address, she was very surprised to find a message from Haley waiting for her in her inbox. Clicking on the window, she was even more surprised to find just a one line cryptic message and an audio attachment.

_Listen to the audio, I will explain everything there._

Curious, Peyton clicked the attachment and immediately Haley's voice penetrated throughout the room.

"Hey Peyton this Haley. I know you're probably wondering what the hell I would want to send you in an audio attachment, especially since it has nothing to do with much, but I promise you that this is so much better than any music I might have ever sent you. Jamie and I came up with this plan, and I want you to promise me that you will listen to the whole entire thing and not shut it off when…well you'll see. Promise?" Here Haley's voice took a little pause as if waiting for Peyton to promise.

"Fine I promise," Peyton muttered to her computer as Haley's voice started again.

"Good. Now I don't want to spoil too much for you, but I want you to know that Lucas had nothing to do with this. Yes, I said Lucas, but you can't turn this off, remember your promise? So yeah you can curse all you want but you have to deal with it. Continuing on, Lucas had nothing to do with this, he didn't know about it and no I promise he didn't ask me to add it. I know you're super confused by now but just listen to it and think about it okay? That's all I am asking. I'll see you when you get back. Love, Haley."

_Lost till you're found_

_Swim till you drown_

_Know that we all fall down_

_Love till you hate_

_Strong till you break_

_Know that we all fall down_

Peyton was just able to stare at the computer screen in surprise when Jamie's voice broke the stunned silence.

"Hey Uncle Lucas why are you so depressed?" Jamie asked.

"Not depressed, Jamie just missing Allison," Lucas said, and Peyton felt her mouth turn upwards at his words.

"In other words, depressed. But I bet Allison's not the only one you're missing," Jamie said in a sing song voice.

"Oh really, then pray tell who else may I be missing?" Lucas asked amused.

"Oh I don't know. Aunt Peyton maybe?" Jamie said in an innocent voice.

"Ahh your aunt Peyton, of course. How could we forget about her?" Lucas asked softly.

"We can't. I mean you can't. She's always on your mind, isn't she?" Jamie asked.

"How can you tell?" Lucas asked interested.

"Well mainly because you're always staring at her like all you want to do is grab her and kiss her—"

"James Lucas Scott, if your mom heard you saying that you'll be in big trouble," Lucas choked out.

"What? It's true isn't it? And secondly you broke your marriage off with Lindsay because of her. So obviously she's always on your mind and in your heart," Jamie observed.

"Are you sure you're only 8 years old?" Lucas asked surprised at how much his god son had knew about him, "And Lindsay broke off the marriage, she asked for the divorce."

"That doesn't make any difference. We all knew that you wanted to end the marriage, she just beat you to actually asking the question. And you can't stand there with that long face and tell me that what I said wasn't true," Jamie said stubbornly.

"I am not going to, because you're right. That night Lindsay asked for the divorce, I wanted to ask for it too, but I guess she just wanted to end the marriage on her terms," Lucas said.

"Honestly Uncle Lucas, I am surprised you stayed with Aunt Lindsay for so long after coming back to Tree Hill. If I spent as much time with Aunt Peyton as you did, I would have asked Lindsay for a divorce way earlier. I mean Aunt Lindsay is nice, but Aunt Peyton is well Aunt Peyton," Jamie said seriously and Peyton felt her heart swell at the little boy's words.

"I was an idiot wasn't I?" Lucas asked regretfully, "I still don't get what in the world possessed me to pick Lindsay over Peyton when it was so obvious that Peyton had my heart. I ended up hurting 2 amazing women just because of my stupid pride," Lucas said bitterly.

_If ever your will starts crashing down_

_Whenever your will starts crashing down_

_If ever your will starts crashing down_

_That's when you'll find me_

"We all make mistakes Uncle Lucas," Jamie said comfortingly.

"Yeah but this one cost me the best thing that had ever happened to me," Lucas said quietly.

"Daddy says that every mistake can be corrected if you try hard enough. I think that if you really try and show Aunt Peyton how sorry you are, she will love you again," Jamie said contemplatively.

"I am trying Jamie, I am really trying. I just hope she can learn to love me again," Lucas said, and Peyton could almost hear the heartbreak in his voice. Was it possible that he might be honestly trying to change?

"She loves you Uncle Lucas, I know she does," Jamie said, "I guess she's just scared of you."

"Since when have you been so good at reading people?" Lucas asked smiling.

"You're forgetting who I have for a mother and a god mother. They like to talk a lot so I pick a lot of things. Daddy says that will make me understand women better one day," Jamie said shrugging.

"Well I certainly wish you better luck with women than I ever have. But then again you're a smart kid, you won't make the same mistakes I did, I'll make sure of that," Lucas said sadly.

"Here we go with the depressed face again," Jamie said rolling his eyes, "What happened to the Uncle Lucas who always looked at the bright side of things, the one who never gave up for what he believed in. You told me a while ago, that if I ever want something in life, I will have to work hard for it, because there's no victory without hard work. Well according to mommy you have to apply that philosophy on yourself and stop feeling sorry for yourself."

"Okay kid, now I am having serious trouble believing that you're just 8 years old. Are you sure you're not Haley in Jamie's body," Lucas asked.

"Of course not silly," Jamie said dribbling a basketball, "If I was my mom, I wouldn't have been able to do make this shot because moma sucks at basketball. But don't tell her I said that."

"Your secret's safe with me," Lucas promised.

"So what are you going to do about Aunt Peyton?" Jamie asked a second later.

"I have already laid the foundations of the steps to getting her back, I guess I am just going to move up from here. No looking back, no regrets, just positive hope for the future," Lucas said determinedly.

"Now that's the Uncle Lucas I know and love," Jamie said excitedly, "I hope Aunt Peyton gives in soon, that will put both of you guys out of your misery."

"Way to be tactful Jamie," Lucas said sarcastically.

"I am serious. You're miserable without her, she's miserable without you. If you guys get together, you'll be happy and she'll be happy and Allison will have a perfect family. It's a win/win situation for all," Jamie said seriously.

"You think I can do this? Because I really don't want to fail her this time. Peyton means too much to me, this whole thing is way too important for me. I can't screw this up," Lucas said passionately.

"You won't. And you know how I know that?" Jamie asked, "Because you're Uncle Lucas, and you fight for what you want. You're not going to give up, and you're going to open Aunt Peyton's heart once again. I have no doubt about that."

"Thanks buddy, I think that's exactly what I needed to hear."

"You're welcome Uncle Lucas," Jamie said high fiving Lucas, "So now that you're done being depressed, want to play some basketball with me?"  
"You're on," Lucas said playfully as he snatched the ball from Jamie.

The last sound Peyton heard in the audio clip was the faint sound of a basketball dribbling in the distance and then it was all quiet.

_Lost till you're found_

_Swim till you drown_

_Know that we all fall down_

_Love till you hate_

_Strong till you break_

_Know that we all fall down_

--

Peyton couldn't think straight for a couple of minutes after the audio was over. She had had so many new revelations today and she didn't know what to make out of any of them. But the one thing that stood out in everything she heard today was the sincerity behind Lucas' intentions in trying to win her back.

Her dad was convinced that Lucas will not hurt her again. She didn't know what those two talked about, but she knew that Lucas has won her dad's heart once again. And it that wasn't enough to put her into self doubt, the audio definitely was. If what Haley said was true, it meant that Lucas didn't know that Jamie was recording everything he was saying. So whatever he said wasn't for some show, it wasn't a ploy to win her back, it was honest emotions, feelings and fears.

The way Lucas was talking about her to Jamie made her realize that maybe this wasn't a trick. Lucas was being sincere, he wanted to be with her. He _loved _her. This was the first time she had accepted that fact without claiming it to be a lie and that scared the crap out of her. That one audio was able to almost rip apart all the walls she had built around herself and make her start questioning herself, and that was the last thing she wanted to face right now.

Physically and emotionally exhausted Peyton shut her laptop and collapsed on her bed.

She was conflicted, her mind and heart at battle against each other. She knew that she was starting to warm up to idea of the idea of letting Lucas back in her life but at the same time she was terrified. The guy was affecting her too much way too fast. She had to do something before things got completely out of control.

_Lost till you're found_

_Swim till you drown_

_Know that we all fall down_

_Love till you hate_

_Strong till you break_

_Know that we all fall down_

_

* * *

_**A/N:** Chapter 27…what do you think?

I hope you like Jamie/Lucas conversation…and Haley's plan! I think the fact that Lucas talked to Jamie about his feelings, and then Peyton hears about it through a recording would give more credibility to Luke's actions. Now she knows that Lucas' confessions of love aren't just a façade that he puts on only when she's around, after all the guy just had a heart to heart with his 8 year old godson! This is a pivotal point when Peyton starts realizing that maybe just maybe Lucas might actually be sincere!

A lot of you want some solo Leyton, and it's coming…Very soon! Just give me one chapter!

Next, let me apologize for the horrendously late update! I think this was the latest I have ever posted any chapter, and for that I am so, so sorry. But life happened in the way, and my whole schedule was thrown out of proportion. But don't worry the dark spell is over, and I am back on full mode writing. I have a fairly easy week coming up and next week is spring break so lots and lots of time to write! So don't lose faith in me just yet!

I know I said in the highlights that Lucas will go on national TV, but I got this idea, and I think it paves a good way for the TV scenario which will take place next chapter!

Also, thank you all so, so much for all the reviews for last chapter! Overall I got 60 reviews for the last chapter, so thank you all! You guys rock!! We are only 49 away from 1200…so let's see how much you guys the next chapter, and the one after that (because 200= 2 chapters)

So with that said, I hope you like the chapter, and please, please **REVIEW!**

**Song:** _All Fall Down- One Republic_


	28. One last chance

Chapter 28: One last chance

**Dedication:** This chapter is dedicated to **ZooeyHolden **&** Aracely6 **for the interview idea. I know this isn't the article like you suggested, but it is what gave me the idea for this chapter!

**A/N:** So I usually don't write author's note, but I have to make an exception this time because I want you guys to check something out. I know you all are dying to continue with the chapter, but before you do so I want you guys to go on my author's/profile page (lilxjames- just click on the link above) and check my icon (profile picture). After doing so, answer my poll if you can (please!) and once you are done, come back here and enjoy the chapter!

_Last Chapter: _

_She was conflicted, her mind and heart at battle against each other. She knew that she was starting to warm up to idea of the idea of letting Lucas back in her life but at the same time she was terrified. The guy was affecting her too much way too fast. She had to do something before things got completely out of control._

_

* * *

_

_We watch the season pull up its own stakes  
And catch the last weekend of the last week  
Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced,  
Another sun soaked season fades away  
You have stolen my heart_

Peyton woke up the next morning to the shrill ringing of her cell phone. Groaning, she turned towards the night stand and blindly searched for the damned object that had disturbed her.

"You better be dying," Peyton growled as she flipped open the phone and put it to her ear.

"Well I am not dying, but I am glad you're in such a good mood," Brooke said sarcastically from the other end.

"Brooke, don't you know any better than to wake me up while I am sleeping?" Peyton asked turning her head away from the sunlight streaming through the window.

"How was I supposed to know that you would be sleeping at 12:30 in the afternoon?" Brooke asked incredulously, and Peyton's eyes snapped open at her words.

"12:30?" Peyton gasped, looking at her alarm clock. And sure it enough it read 12:31 p.m.

"Yes, 12:30 P. Wake up and smell the sunshine, no wait wasn't it coffee?" Brooke asked grinning.

"Hahah Brooke, I am amused," Peyton said sarcastically sitting up in her bed, "I can't believe no one came to wake me up. I have never slept in so late."

"Maybe Larry just wanted you to rest, you've been so stressed lately, you needed this," Brooke said wisely, "Unless…"

"Unless?" Peyton asked curiously.

"Well unless the reason you overslept was also the reason that has kept you so stressed lately," Brooke said slowly.

"That doesn't make any sense B," Peyton said rolling her eyes.

"Yes, it does," Brooke said, "You never oversleep unless you're up really late, like really, really late. And the only reason you're ever up really, really late is when your mind is conflicted because of a certain Broody boy, who is also the reason for your stress."

"I was not conflicted over Lucas last night," Peyton lied, cursing her friend for knowing her so well.

"Uh huh sure you weren't," Brooke said scoffing unbelievingly, "So what else were you doing all night? Reading the Raven?"

"I was not," Peyton said hotly, and she could almost see the knowing smile that would have appeared on Brooke's face at her words, "You know as well as I do that I burnt all my copies with you when Lucas and Lindsay…well you know."

"Got engaged?" Brooke asked, "Yeah I know. But now they are divorced, doesn't that mean that you can start reading it again, or at least try to?"

"I may be not be as smart as Haley, but do you seriously think that that I don't know what you're really trying to imply with that?" Peyton asked disgustedly, "You're my best friend Brooke, I can't believe you're taking his side after seeing the first hand damage he did to me."

"I am not taking his side Peyton, I will never take his side over yours, I am just saying what I think is best for you," Brooke said trying to salvage the situation.

"Oh so the best for me is to take Lucas Scott back in my life, so he can tear it apart again?" Peyton asked bitterly.

"No, the best for you is to take Lucas Scott back in your life so that he can put you back together. So that he can heal all the wounds that he had caused you, and make you whole again. Because Peyton Sawyer is not complete without Lucas Scott, you and I both know that," Brooke said softly.

"Brooke you can't be falling for his good guy charade. He doesn't mean—"

"He doesn't mean what, Peyton? He doesn't mean anything he has done in the past month? The note cards, the flowers, the chocolates, the speeches? You can't honestly think that he is faking the longing or the love in his eyes whenever he sees you. There's only enough a person can pretend, and no matter how much of a jack ass Lucas is, the one thing that I am sure about is that he is never faking when it comes to his feelings for you," Brooke said seriously.

"Then why does he end up hurting me every single time? If his feelings are so pure, then why does he insist on breaking my heart every time I think its whole again?" Peyton asked resentfully.

"Because Lucas sucks at relationships. He doesn't know how to handle them. Sometimes he expects too much, and sometimes he just sticks with the wrong person because he doesn't know what else to do. He doesn't do it intentionally, Peyton, and he is literally killing himself over the guilt he feels for hurting you so much. These past couple of years have taught his a lot about life and relationship and I promise that if you just make an effort to let him in, he will do whatever he can to make up for all his past mistakes. He's not going to make the same mistakes he made 4 years ago," Brooke said seriously.

"I don't know Brooke, I am so confused. I don't know what to think, what to do. I came to Charlotte trying to get away from all the Lucas drama in my life, but with my luck and the amazing best friends I have, I can never escape from it," Peyton said rubbing her temples, her mind replaying Brooke's words.

"I just want you to be happy, Peyton, and Lucas—"

"Is the only one who can make me happy. Yeah, I know. I have heard that line more than enough, trust me," Peyton interrupted.

"Well it's true," Brooke said simply.

"Listen B, I really don't want to talk about this right now. I really can't handle all this right now. Was there any other reason that you called?" Peyton asked tiredly.

"Yeah there was actually, I just wanted to remind you that Lucas' interview airs in 3 hours on NBC, so you better be tuned in," Brooke informed.

"Oh," Peyton groaned, she had completely forgotten about the interview until Brooke brought it up, "What happens if I don't watch the interview?"

"That won't happen," Brooke said smugly.

"Uh, why not?" Peyton asked.

"Allison," Brooke said in a 'duh' voice, "Lucas told her that he would be on TV today, and from what Larry told me when I called a couple hours ago, that girl hasn't shut up about it since then. So there's no way in hell you're going to miss that."

"Why does my daughter have to be such a daddy's girl?" Peyton moaned, knowing full well that now there was no way she could escape from watching Lucas' interview.

"Oh you know you love it," Brooke said teasingly.

"I guess," Peyton said half-heartedly, "Anyways speaking of Allison, I have got to go check on her, okay? I haven't seen her since last night, I miss her."

"That girl has you and Lucas wrapped around her finger so tightly it's funny," Brooke said laughing.

"Please, like you're any better when it comes to her," Peyton said grinning.

"You can't blame me. All she has to do is give you one smile and you just have to give in, it's overpowering," Brooke said dramatically, "Anyways go find your adorable daughter and give her a hug from me. I'll give you a call after the interview is over."

"Alright, speak to you later. Bye," Peyton said disconnecting the call.

And as she started at the phone in their hand, they couldn't help but wonder what new developments Lucas' interview would bring to their already messy and confusing relationship. Trying not to think too much about it, Peyton quickly made her way out of the door in search of Allison.

_Invitation only, grand farewells_

_Crash the best one, of the best ones_

_Clear liquor and cloudy eyed, too early to say goodnight_

_You have stolen my heart_

--

**3 hours later**

"Mommy hurry up or we're going to miss daddy on TV," Allison said urgently as she all but dragged Peyton through Larry's front lawn.

"Allison, calm down. Lucas' interview doesn't start for 10 minutes. We have more than enough time," Peyton said impatiently trying to balance the grocery in one hand and an overexcited Allison on another. They had left to get some grocery an hour ago and Allison had been begging Peyton to go home, in the fear that she would miss her daddy on TV.

"But what if they start early, huh? Then I would miss it, and it would be all your fault," Allison said pouting.

"Okay now you're just being overdramatic," Peyton said rolling her eyes as she tried to unlock the door. As soon as she had turned the handle and pushed open the door, Allison had dropped her hand as if she was burned and made a bee line for the living room where the TV was.

"Grandpa Larry are you on NBC?" Allison asked excitedly as she plopped on the seat next to her grandfather/

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I am waiting for an interview by a man named Lucas Scott. I think you might know him," Larry said jokingly.

"Very funny grandpa, of course I know him. He's my daddy," Allison said smiling brightly, "Did it start yet?"

"Nope, there are still 5 more minutes left," Larry said checking his watch, "Now why don't you keep an eye on the TV while I go help your mom with the groceries?"

"Okay," Allison agreed.

Nodding, Larry got up from his seat and made his way to the kitchen where Peyton was.

"Need any help?" Larry asked leaning on the doorway watching her daughter put away the milk in the fridge.

"Nope, all done. I didn't get too much," Peyton said turning towards her dad.

"Well that's good, because I really didn't want to miss much of Lucas' interview trying to be the good guy here," Larry said mischievously.

"Seriously dad with the way you act sometimes I wonder if you're my dad or his," Peyton said rolling her eyes, a small smile evident on her face.

"Oh don't be jealous, Peyton. You know I will always love you a little more than him," Larry said laughing.

"Thanks dad that means a lot," Peyton said looking amused.

"But you know I've gotta stay on top of things as far as Lucas is concerned," Larry said contemplatively.

"Why?" Peyton asked confused.

"Well he will be my son in law one day, I need some solid blackmail material," Larry said with a straight face.

"Son-in-law?" Peyton choked out stunned.

"Yeah, why not. I'll treat him like a son though, I promise," Larry said with the same straight face.

"Lucas has brainwashed everyone. First my best friend, and now my own dad. Do I have anyone left on my side?" Peyton asked shaking her head.

"Well you have Allison," Larry said thoughtfully.

But before Peyton could answer, Allison shouted out, "It's on. Daddy's coming on TV. Come on mommy, grandpa or you're going to miss it."

"Nah, judging by her voice, I think she's on Lucas' side too," Larry said contradicting his previous statement.

"Great dad, just great. You just made my day," Peyton said sarcastically .

"No problem kiddo," Larry said hugging Peyton as she stopped next to him, "Come on, let's go see what lover boy has in store for us."

Not even bothering to answer, Peyton just gave a tragic sigh and followed Larry to the living room unsure of what the next ½ an hour would bring.

--

"They just showed his name," Allison said excitedly as they both took a seat.

"It's going to start any second now," Larry said watching as the list of sponsors for the talk show were shown on the TV screen.

And sure enough a couple of seconds later, Entertainment Weekly's big sign was flashed followed by the entrance of the host.

"Hello North Carolina. Welcome to a brand new segment on Entertainment weekly. I am Kristen Bell and I will be your host for the evening. Today we will be joined by a very beloved best seller author that is known and loved by girls all over America. He is a native from Tree Hill, and he is going to be speaking in public for the first time ever since the release of his extremely popular book, now brace yourself girls, The unkindness of the ravens ," Kristen had to stop her for a couple of seconds and thunderous applause and catcalls were heard from the live audience.

"Seems like lover boy is pretty loved huh?" Larry asked turning towards Peyton.

"Of course he is. That book was a hit," Peyton said shortly, "And can you please stop calling him lover boy, it's creepy."

And before Larry could reply, the host had gotten the audience under control and had started speaking again.

"So please join me in welcoming Mr. Lucas Scott," Kristen said smiling, and once again the audience went crazy, but this time Peyton barely noticed the noise. Her entire focus was now on the man who had just walked on stage. He had a big smile on his face and his gorgeous blue eyes were twinkling with happiness. He was wearing a simple while button down shirt and faded jeans and his hair was done in small spikes. Just seeing him on TV, looking so relaxed and gorgeous, made Peyton's heart beat 10 times faster despite her best attempt to calm her sizzling nerves. She didn't know if it was because she hadn't seen him in 2 days or if it was the after effects of Haley's audio and Brooke's speech but suddenly Peyton found herself wondering what would happen if she did let Lucas' in her life again.

"Peyton, are you okay?" Larry asked concerned at the glazed look on Peyton's face.

"What?" Peyton asked snapping out of her reverie, "Oh yeah, I am fine. Just thinking."

"You sure?" Larry asked not satisfied with her answer.

"Yeah, I am okay. Don't worry, seriously," Peyton said trying to sort through her mucky thought, something that her newest revelation had made 10 times worse.

Shaking her head, Peyton focused her attention back to the TV, where Lucas had just sat down on the sofa across Kristen.

"Lucas it is such a great pleasure to have you here with us today," Kristen was saying, "I believe I am correct when I say that this is the first time you've spoken to the public on national TV?"

"Yes, you are Kristen. Can't you tell by my nervous demeanor that I have no idea what I am doing here," Lucas said jokingly.

"Pshh what nervous demeanor? You're sitting here all calm and relaxed as if you could do it in your sleep," Kristen said laughing and the audience cheered in response.

"It's all part of the hidden charm," Lucas said winking at the camera as the girls went crazy.

"Now this is the charmer we all know and love, our own ladies man," Kristen said.

"Nah not so much a ladies man, that title belongs to my younger brother, or did. He's much better now. And I can guarantee you that him and his wife will kill me as soon as I am off air," Lucas said teasingly.

"Well in that case I would like to go over all the questions I have for you, in case you know you don't live to see another day," Kristen said jokingly.

"Shoot away Kristen, that's what I am here for," Lucas said nodding his head.

"Alright Mr. Scott, you told us that you have taken this time to come out in the public because you had two extremely huge announcements to make. Now I don't know about you guys, but I am dying to hear about them. What do you say, willing to give us a little sneak peek?"

"Just a sneak peek? I don't think you will be satisfied with a sneak peek, but hey I live on curiosity so why not? As you know I have been idle for the past what 6 years? After The Ravens did so good, most people expected me to write something else, something just as wonderful, something just as powerful. But I couldn't, I couldn't write, and I disappointed a lot of my fans in the process, and for that I am sorry. But I am hoping that the double announcement I have today will make up for some of it. A couple of months ago, I got a call from a producer in LA who was extremely interested in turning The Ravens into a movie—" Lucas had to stop here because of the thunderous applause and cheer that once again filled the studio.

"And what did you say?" Kristen asked excitedly once the crowd had quieted down a bit.

"I wasn't interested in the beginning, but the producer wasn't willing to give up, and as a result in a year the Unkindness of the Raven will be hitting the big screen," Lucas finished smiling as the whole studio went crazy.

"My god Lucas that is amazing," Kristen said looking stunned, "You've really kept this under the wraps haven't you, I can't believe we didn't hear anything about this."

"Yeah the whole thing was extremely quiet, and I wanted it to stay that way until we had the whole crew ready. And I extremely pleased to say that filming for the film starts next week," Lucas replied.

"Wow, congratulations. This is certainly big news, and I sure your fans will more than forgive you for your extremely extended writer's block with this news. But wait this was just one of the double announcements you had, what's the other one? Now, you've got all of us really excited."

"I am glad you brought up the extremely extended writer's block thing, because ladies and gentlemen the writer's block is over," Lucas said smiling.

"What?" Kristen and Peyton said at the same time, "What do you mean it's over? You are working on a new book?"

"Even better Kristen, I am done with a new book," Lucas said grinning, enjoying the response he was getting, "It's with my editor as we speak, and will be hitting your shelves in 2 weeks."

"2 weeks," Kristen said faintly, "Lucas Scott aren't you just full of stunning surprises today?" We'll have to take a break right now while we all try to digest this information."

"He's writing again?" Larry asked interestedly.

"I had no idea," Peyton said shocked, "I don't think anyone did."

"Maybe this is a surprise?" Larry suggested.

"Maybe, but what would have given him the inspiration to complete a book he discarded so many years ago?" Peyton asked quietly.

"Welcome back," Kristen's voice interrupted the conversation, "We are here with Lucas Scott, author of best seller Unkindness of the Ravens, and he had just dropped 2 huge bombs on us. Do you realize Lucas that after these revelations the questions I had for you nearly doubled?"

"What can I say, people love to hear from me," Lucas said smiling.

"Yes, they do. And you better love giving them responses too," Kristen said as she placed her laptop on the table in front of her.

"So I am going to start from a question that I desperately want an answer to, the new book that you finished, has this been a work in progress, or was it a spur of a moment thing?"

"The new book is called the Comet. I started it 6 years ago right after the Ravens became such a success, and then life played a dirty trick on me, and I lost all my inspiration for writing. I didn't touch the book till last month when I got my inspiration to complete the book, and I did. To say that my editor and publishing board were stunned would be the biggest understatement. They begged me for a book for 5 years, and just when they had given up all hope on me, I get my mojo back. It was really funny watching their faces when I told them that I had a book ready to go," Lucas said.

"I would have been surprised too. We had given up hope from ever hearing from you again too," Kristen said playfully, "But I am glad that you're back. We missed you."

"Thanks, but it's really not me who deserve the credit for my comeback, it's the woman who has been my inspiration ever since I was 17. She was the reason the Ravens was such a success, and she is the reason why I finished The Comet. I am nothing without her," Lucas said passionately as the crowd hooted in appreciation.

"I was wondering when he was going to drag you in," Larry whispered amusedly as Peyton sent him a glare.

"You speak very passionately about this woman," Kristen observed, "She means a lot to you huh?"

"She means more to me than anything else in the world," Lucas said seriously.

"Well girls seems like Lucas Scott here is taken," Kristen said laughing as the girls groaned in disappointment in the crowd.

"So anyways now that we know how this book came out to be, tell us something about it," Kristen said.

"Well it's about this boy who sees this comet and it changes his entire life. It's hard to explain, but once you start reading, everything comes out clear. So you guys will just have to wait and see," Lucas said.

"So it's a science fiction?" Kristen asked.

"No, it's a love story. It's based on a personal story that I want to share with the world," Lucas said.

"I really don't want to bring up this name since it's still a sore spot within the hearts of the readers but does it have anything to do with Peyton? The subject of your first book. The woman we all thought you were going to end up with," Kristen asked hesitantly.

"It does," Lucas admitted, "The book is about the first time I talked to Peyton, and the difference she made in life. It's an extremely passionate book, just like my love for her," Lucas said boldy as the whole audience and Peyton gasped.

"He did not just say that," Peyton whispered.

"He just did," Larry said smiling.

"Wait, stop and rewind, did you just say that you're still in love with Peyton?" Kristen asked, her eyes shining with hope as the audience listened with bated breath. It was no secret that they were all extremely upset when they found out that Lucas and Peyton from the book were no longer together.

"I do," Lucas said, "It took me a long time and a couple of mistakes to realize that, but I do. I always did in some way or another. She's my comet," Lucas said softly as the audience ahh-ed with happiness.

"So she is the inspiration you were talking about earlier?" Kristen probed.

"She is, and she always has been. She was the back bone behind both the Ravens and the Comet, this fame, this love, it's all because of her," Lucas said.

"So are you guys together, last time I heard you were married to your editor?" Kristen asked.

"We got divorced a month ago, right about the time I started writing again. And no, Peyton and I are not together yet. She doesn't trust me, and it's all my fault. I have hurt her again, and again in the past and she has the full right to hate me. But I am trying to change that, I am trying to win her heart back again, because even though it took me a while, I have realized that I am nothing without her in my life. I know she doesn't believe me and think this is all some kind of a hoax, but it's not. I am sorry for every time I hurt you and I love you Peyton, I am in love with you," Lucas said looking straight at the camera, and Peyton knew that this wasn't just an answer, this was meant to be for her. Lucas Scott had just declared his love for her on national TV.

"Wow, all I can say after such a proclamation of love is that Peyton Sawyer you are one lucky woman. I am not a psychiatrist but I can tell that this guy here is the real deal. He loves you girl, there's no doubt about that. And we're all rooting for you guys here, because after all the love between Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer is epic," Kirsten said seriously as the crowd roared its approval.

"Well Lucas it was absolutely great having you here with us today. I wish you all the best with your book, your movie and most importantly your girl. Thank you so much for coming here," Kristen said pulling Lucas in a light hug.

"It was my pleasure," Lucas said as he lightly kissed Kristen on the cheek, "Oh and Allison, daddy loves you baby. I miss you princess and I can't wait to see you again." And with that final sentence he made his way back stage again breathing a sigh of relief, leaving a stunned crowd in his wake. Lucas Scott had a daughter?

"That was Lucas Scott ladies and gentlemen, don't forget to buy his newest book The Comet that hit the shelves 2 weeks from today," Kristen announced getting over her shock, "Oh and Peyton, we have all read about yours and Lucas' love story, my only advice to you is, don't over think this, let your heard lead the way. You and Lucas' both deserve this happy ending."

And just like that the show was over. Peyton sat glued to her seat as the credits rolled by, she couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Mommy can I call daddy, please, please. I have to talk to him," Allison said jumping up and down.

"Yeah, yeah go to your room and call him," Peyton said hoarsely.

"Yay," Allison said happily running to her room with a phone in her hand.

"Are you okay?" Larry asked softly.

"Lucas just told the world that he loved me, how do you think I am," Peyton snapped, "I am going to my room."

Larry just nodded knowing that Peyton needed to be left alone right now. She had some important decisions to make, and she had to do that on her own.

_And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration_

_One good stretch before our hibernation_

_Our dreams assured and we all, will sleep well_

_You have stolen_

_You have stolen my heart_

--

Peyton went to her room, and sat on the corner of her bed shell shocked. Of all the things that she expecting in the interview, Lucas declaring his love so openly for her was the last thing she would have expected. And the worst part was that she actually believed him. The way he was looking at the camera during his speech, it was as if he was staring right into her soul. For the first time since Lucas had started fighting for her, she couldn't convince herself that this was all a lie. Her denial was slipping extremely fast, the wall around her heart breaking with every word he spoke. And it was scaring the crap out of her.

She was brought out of her thoughts, when she heard her cell phone ringing in her jeans pocket. Taking it out, she flipped it open and put it to her ear.

"This is a really bad time, Brooke," Peyton said.

"It's not Brooke," the person on the other end replied.

"Lindsay?" Peyton asked almost dropping the phone in shock.

"Yeah, hi," Lindsay said awkwardly.

"Um hi?" Peyton said uncertainly.

"Look I know you're probably surprised and wondering why the hell I was calling you, but I need to talk to you," Lindsay said.

"Okay, about what?" Peyton asked even though she already knew the answer.

"Lucas," Lindsay replied steadily, "I take that you saw his interview?"

"Me and the rest of the world," Peyton said bitterly.

"Yeah, um so you know about his new book," Lindsay said.

"Yeah, I knew he started it, but I had no idea he had finished it," Peyton confessed.

"I just finished reading all of it, and it's all about you," Lindsay said quietly.

"Okay…" Peyton said not knowing how to continue.

"Look, Lucas really loves you. It is killing me to say this, butt he really truly loves. Like Kristen said in the interview this is not a joke. He's not playing with your emotions, not this time," Lindsay said painfully.

"Why are you telling me this?" Peyton asked softly.

"Because I don't want my suffering to go to waste," Lindsay said bluntly, "You've hurt me Peyton, my husband was never able to love me completely because you were always in his heart, and I resented you for it. But now after the divorce, I realized that we were just holding on to something that was never meant to be. You have always been the only woman in his life. I didn't want to call you, but after I read the book and heard his interview, I just felt like I had to," Lindsay said softly.

"You have no idea how guilty you're making me feel right now," Peyton said honestly.

"Honestly, it's really not your fault. You can't help who you love right? Lucas chose to love you, and I just entered his life in the wrong moment. You're irreplaceable in his life Peyton, I have tried to fill the void in his heart that was you, and I have failed every time. The divorce killed me, because I did love Lucas, and I don't want my pain to be for nothing. Give him a chance Peyton, he won't let you down this time, trust me he knows what's at stake right now," Lindsay said.

"How do I know that it's the right thing to do?" Peyton asked quietly.

"Because there hasn't been a day in the 3 years we were married that he loved me more than he loved you," Lindsay replied simply, "I am going to hang up now, okay? Just think about what I have said."

"Okay," Peyton choked out stunned by Lindsay's last comment.

Hearing the line go dead on the other end, Peyton slowly took the phone away from her ear, finding it hard to believe that Lindsay had just called her to give her relationship advice with her ex-husband.

The reality of the situation still hadn't sunk in, when her phone rang again. Not bothering to check the caller id, she once again brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello," she greeted tiredly.

"Hey," Lucas's voice came from the other end.

"Lucas," Peyton said surprised, this day was really getting too much for her.

"Did you see the interview?" Lucas asked quietly.

"Do you think your daughter would have let me live if I hadn't?" Peyton asked lightly.

"Yeah, she just called me, she sounded so excited," Lucas said.

"Excited? Please, that's the biggest understatement of the year. She would have jumped in the TV if that was possible," Peyton said seriously, "She really liked the part you added about her in the end even though it stunned the audience."

"That really shut them up, didn't it?" Lucas asked smiling, "I didn't want to tell them about her like that but I had to leave a message for Allison."

"Yeah," Peyton said her mouth becoming dry as she remembered the message he had sent her.

As if reading her mind, Lucas continued, "What about message I left for you? Did that get through?"

"Luke—"

"I meant every word of it, you know?" Lucas asked desperately.

"I know," Peyton whispered, finally admitting to herself that Lucas was being sincere after all, "But so does the rest of the world."

"I am not afraid of letting anyone know what I feel for you Peyton. They've read The Raven and they know what you mean to me. We are meant to be, Peyton. I know I haven't given you many reasons to believe that but we are. True Love Always that's what you called us, didn't you?"

"That always went down the drain when you said I do to Lindsay," Peyton said tearfully.

"I know," Lucas said softly, "I know I hurt you but I am not about to make the same mistake twice. I would kill myself first."

"What do you want me to say Luke?" Peyton asked, lost.

"Tell me that you believe me. Tell me that I have a chance with you. Tell me that it's not too late," Lucas said pleadingly.

"Peyton, you there?" Lucas asked when she didn't reply for a couple of seconds.

"I believe you Luke. But just because I believe you doesn't mean I am willing to let you walk into my life just like that. You need to prove to me that this is not just a game to you anymore because I like I have said before, I am done putting my heart out on the line just to have it broken again and again. Prove me your worth, Lucas Scott," Peyton said firmly, her mind clearing just a little bit.

"Does that mean that it's not too late?" Lucas asked hardly daring to breathe.

"It's not too late," Peyton confirmed a couple of seconds later, hoping beyond hope that her heart was leading her to the right decision this time.

"I am going to make things right between us. I will make you mine again. You're not going to regret this Peyton, I promise," Lucas said softly, a large smile on his face. Peyton had given him another chance.

"I better not, because this is the last stretch, Lucas. Your one last chance, because after this I am done," Peyton said seriously.

"I won't need any more chances," Lucas said strongly.

"I guess I'll just have to wait and see about that," Peyton said, closing her eyes shut. She had just done the one thing she had pledged herself that she would never do, she had just given her heart back to Lucas Scott.

_I watch you spin around in your highest heels_

_You are the best one, of the best ones_

_We all look like we feel_

_You have stolen my_

_You have stolen my heart_

_

* * *

_**A/N:** I hate this chapter, I really do. I think I am losing my writing mojo!

So what do you think? I know you guys are dying to see some one on one Leyton action but this was an important chapter, and well you guys did get a Leyton conversation in the end…I hope that it can satisfy you until next chapter which is the solo date on the _________ (any guesses?). So a lot of pure Leyton interaction coming up next chapter, which will be in 2 days since we have reached 1200 reviews! Wooo hooo!

*****Now, I have an extremely important announcement to make about the next couple of updates, so please read all the way through!*****

I start testing next week, and it will continue on for the better part of the next 3 ½ week. Now how does this concern you? Well, because of all the studying I have left to do, I am going to take a little break from my fanfictions until May 15 (at least). Now, I had decided that this would have been my last chapter for this fic until after my tests, but yesterday I reached 1200 reviews, and since I promised you guys that I would update 2 chapters one after the other when I reach a 200 mark, Chapter 29 will be posed by Friday/Saturday, and that will be the last update until after May 15. (after 29, there are only 2 more chapters left in the fic, excluding the 2-parter epilogue! Yup, we're wrapping up in 5 chapters!). I know that this a pretty long break, and you guys are probably going to hate me for it, but I don't have any other choice. These tests are the most important I have to take and I really need to just stop everything and study! I am sorry =[

**However,** the only scenario that I will update in within by lockdown time period, is if I reach 1400 reviews, because then once again I will have to uphold a promise. And since we just reached 1200, I find that nearly impossible. But if by some miracle that does happen, you guys will have 2 chapters updated whenever we reach it. I am not doing this to force any of you to review or anything, because I more than happy with the response I am getting from you guys, I am just laying out the whole scenario for you guys so that nothing is a surprise.

Once again, thank you all for being such amazing readers! I honestly love you guys, and all the support you've given me. The next chapter will once again be posted by Friday/Saturday and then well…I will most probably be back in mid May!

Oh, and I hope you liked the icon…this announcement probably over shadows it, but I spent quite a while on it, and I hope it was worth it. If you can, tell me what you think about Allison now that you have see her (on the icon).

With all that out of the way, I hope you liked the chapter, and please, leave a **REVIEW!**

**Song:** _Stolen- Dashboard Confessional_


	29. The start of something beautiful

Chapter 29: The start of something beautiful

_Last Chapter: _

"_I am going to make things right between us. I will make you mine again. You're not going to regret this Peyton, I promise," Lucas said softly, a large smile on his face. Peyton had given him another chance._

"_I better not, because this is the last stretch, Lucas. Your one last chance, because after this I am done," Peyton said seriously._

"_I won't need any more chances," Lucas said strongly._

"_I guess I'll just have to wait and see about that," Peyton said, closing her eyes shut. She had just done the one thing she had pledged herself that she would never do, she had just given her heart back to Lucas Scott._

_

* * *

_

_Trying not to lose my head but I have never been this scared before_

_Tell you what I'll do instead, lay my body down on the floor_

_To forget what I've done, silhouette 'til the good lord come_

_All we know is distance_

_We're close and then we run_

_Kiss away the difference_

_I know you hate this one_

**2 weeks later**

"So you and Lucas huh?" Brooke asked teasingly as she walked into the kitchen one morning to see Peyton drinking her usual cup of coffee and flipping through the B. Davis

magazine.

"What about me and Lucas?" Peyton asked feigning indifference, however a light blush had appeared on her cheeks.

"Oh you know exactly what I mean," Brooke said smirking as she snatched the magazine away from Peyton's hands, "Come on now P. Sawyer, don't be a prude. I need details."

"Brooke there are no details. I have been telling you that for the past 2 weeks," Peyton said annoyed as she looked around for something to divert her attention with.

"Yeah, but we both know that's not true. How can Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer become friends with benefits and there be no details. That just doesn't happen," Brooke said innocently.

"Friends with ben- benefits?" Peyton sputtered out, "Where do you come up with these ideas Brooke?"

"Well since my best friend is being a stubborn ass and not giving me any 411 on her love life with Broody boy, I am just going to have to use my imagination, and you know how wild that can be," Brooke said smiling mischievously.

"Brooke there is NOTHING going on. Lucas and I are friends but without the benefits part. Just because we're more civil towards each other, doesn't mean we are having hot, passionate sex behind closed doors," Peyton said rolling her eyes.

"Oh so you have thought about hot, passionate sex," Brooke squealed, her eyes gleaming, "But then again how could you not? There's just so much chemistry and sexual tension between you guys that you can feel it from a mile apart."

"Brooke I am not thinking about having sex with Lucas," Peyton said averting her eyes, feeling a blush creep up on her cheeks again.

"Of course you're not," Brooke said rolling her eyes, "But seriously answer me one question Peyton, when are you going to come out of you god damn denial?"

"Brooke I am not—"

"You're not what? You're not in denial about your feelings for Lucas? You're not in denial about the fact that your resolve seems to crumbling when it comes to him? I know you're scared Peyton—"

"I am not scared Brooke," Peyton interrupted softly, "I am fucking terrified. These past 2 weeks, ever since Lucas and I decided to be "friends" have been so nerve-wracking, you have no idea. I have been walking around egg shells around him, scared that one missed step is going to take me back to 3 years ago when I had to sit in that church watching him getting married to someone who wasn't me. I know you think that I am crazy thinking like that, but I can't help it. I can't let go of the past, I can't do it."

"Peyton—"

"And you know what the worst part is?" Peyton continued, "The fact that despite what my head is trying to do, my heart is going the complete opposite direction. Being this close to Lucas is driving me crazy. I look forward to every time we see each other, talking to him, laughing with him have become the highlight moments of my day. Every time he smiles at me, my heart starts racing, and it feels like I have a 1000 butterflies flying around in my stomach. He does that with one goddamn smile! And lets not even talk about what's starting to happen every times he's within 5 feet of me. Like yesterday, I wanted to get the glass set you've so wisely set on top of the kitchen cabinet, and I couldn't reach it, so Luke being a wise ass gentleman decides to help me out. And I swear to you Brooke, when I felt him behind me, I just blanked out. I felt like a teenage high school girl who goes all tongue tied when her crush is around. Stuff like this don't happen to me Brooke. The control this man has over me is ridiculous, and now that all the barriers of hatred are gone, I have nothing to fall back to and I don't know where to go from here."

"You're falling for him aren't you?" Brooke asked in awe. No matter how much she had pushed Peyton to take back Lucas, she wasn't expecting this outburst from her friend.

"Harder than I have ever fallen for him before," Peyton whispered truthfully.

"That's amazing, Peyt—"

"Is it?" Peyton asked quietly, "Is it amazing? Or is it a nightmare all over again?"

"What are you talking about P. Sawyer. Of course it's amazing! You're falling in love with a guy who loves you with all his heart. You're on your way to fulfill your destiny. Tell me how is that not amazing?" Brooke asked incredulously.

"Because this time it's the real deal. If I let him in my life again, this time it's going to be forever. This isn't high school anymore. There are no ifs and buts. This time we have a daughter to think about. We're adults now, there can't be any screw ups anymore. And that's the scary part, because where ever Lucas and I are involved, screw ups are a must, it just doesn't happen any other way," Peyton said seriously.

"I think you're giving Lucas and yourself very little credit here. This situation is nowhere the same it was when you guys got together in high school. You guys have had 7 years to learn from all your past mistakes, they're not going to repeat themselves. And Peyton, you and Luke have been through so much shit, and yet if one thing is the same today as it was 7 years ago, it's the love you guys have for each other. So yeah you're right, when you guys get together this time its not going to be some teenage relationship, it's going to be long term, it's going to be about marriage and growing old together, and I get it that you're scared of that, because you still don't trust Luke completely with your heart, but trust me when I say this Peyton, Lucas is not going to make the same mistake twice, he loves you too much to put you through that again," Brooke said holding Peyton's hand.

"He never means to hurt me, Brooke. He doesn't plan it, it just happens that way," Peyton said softly.

"Love comes with risks and uncertainties, Peyton. I know you're afraid, and I know that I would be too if I were in your place, but you have got to give this a shot. It won't be fair to either you or Lucas if you didn't, not when you guys are so in love with each other. And you told him it wasn't too late, so you can't go back on your words right now, and you can't build a shell around yourself either. It's time to let someone in, Peyton," Brooke said comfortingly.

"And if it doesn't work out?" Peyton asked.

"It will. You can't doubt that. You and Lucas will be together and crazily in love even when you are 90 years old, and will be having more sex that all the old couples in Tree Hill combined, except for me of course—"

"Okay Brooke, stop, bad images," Peyton said smiling slightly as she playfully slapped Brooke's hand.

"Yeah you're right. I'll be old and crinkly at 90, I don't want to picture myself like that," Brooke said grimacing.

"And once again everything has to be about Brooke Davis," Peyton said rolling her eyes at how Brooke had completely missed the point.

"You know you won't have me any other way, P. Sawyer," Brooke said grinning as she pulled her best friend into a hug.

"Oh what would I do without you Brooke Davis?" Peyton said sincerely as she hugged her back.

"You'd definitely die," Brooke said cheerfully, "There's no way you'd survive in this world without me, or worse you would have never had a love life."

"You're the best friend a girl could ask for Brooke Davis, I hope you know that," Peyton said softly.

"Okay stop with the heart to heart before I start crying. We've got to save the tears for yours and Lucas' wedding," Brooke said her eyes twinkling.

"And yours and Julian's," Peyton shot back teasingly.

"Righttt," Brooke said blushing slightly, "Next topic".

"Aww Brooke, you're so cute when you're blushing," Peyton said enjoying her friend squirm.

"After all the advice I have given you Peyton, this is how you treat me? Some best friend you are," Brooke said dramatically.

"Hey it's not my fault you're so much fun to tease," Peyton said with a straight face.

Before Brooke could reply, the best friends were interrupted by the doorbell.

"This isn't over, I am going to get you back Peyton Sawyer," Brooke said playfully as she got up to answer the doorbell.

"Give me your best shot," Peyton said rolling her eyes, and going back to her magazine.

_Trying not to lose your own, boxing up everything, you've got_

_All you ever knew of home, you're scared scared to see_

_Your mother there in the door, you wonder where did the years go_

_All we know is distance_

_We're close and then we run_

_Kiss away the difference_

_I know you hate this one_

She heard Brooke open the door, and could vaguely hear the voice of a man coming in. Thinking it was Julian, Peyton rolled her eyes and got up to get herself a cup of coffee knowing that her best friend won't be available for the next couple of hours, at least- Julian did that to her.

However, she had only taken a couple of steps towards the coffee machine when she heard Brooke's voice go louder as she led the visitor towards the kitchen.

"Hey Peyton, your boyfriend's here." Brooke said nonchalantly as she walked into the kitchen.

"Who Lucas?" Peyton asked without thinking.

As she heard Brooke's snicker and Lucas choke behind her, did she realize what she had said. Damn you Brooke!

"Well duh! How many other boyfriends do you have?" Brooke said in a sing song voice, as she approached Peyton, "Now turn around, you don't want to be rude do you?"

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" Peyton seethed once Brooke was in earshot.

"Payback's a bitch. And you did ask me to give you my best shot," Brooke said innocently.

Groaning, Peyton tried to look as nonchalant as possible before turning around to greet Lucas.

"Hey," Lucas said a huge smile on her face on his face, no doubt because of her unintentional slip.

"Hi," Peyton said playing with her fingers trying to avoid eye contact, "What are you doing here? You usually don't come around till noon."

"Yeah, but I have a meeting to attend at 2, so I decided to drop by earlier, spend more time with Allison. And you," Lucas said smiling as he finally gained eye contact with Peyton, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"Oh no, we were just talking about Peyton's sex life or rather the lack of sex life," Brooke said grinning evilly.

"Brooke," Peyton shouted mortified, her best friend had done it this time. How was she going to get out of this?

"What?" Brooke asked innocently, "I am just saying. Anyways, I have to meet Julian in about 15 minutes, so I'll leave you 2 alone now. Have fun." Leaning towards Peyton she whispered, "Maybe Lucas will be able to rectify you problem. If you know what I mean." And with one final wink, she was gone.

"You know that it's lucky that looks can't kill, otherwise Brooke would have been a very over concentrated ghost by now," Lucas said playfully as he saw Peyton glaring behind her best friend's back.

"And so would you," Peyton snapped turning around.

"Ouch. You cut me deep Peyton, and here I thought I was your boyfriend," Lucas said teasingly.

"That was a slip up," Peyton said blushing slightly, "And if you ever bring it up again I'll kill you with more than just my looks. Gosh, why are guys such jerks?"

"I feel a sense of déjà vu coming," Lucas said grinning, "But seriously Peyton, it might have been a slip up today, but give me a couple of weeks and it will be reality."

"Pretty sure of yourself aren't you?" Peyton asked, feeling a little dizzy because of the lack of space between them, "And move a little, will you?"

"Why? Is it bothering you?" Lucas said running a finger down her bare arms.

"Very much," Peyton breathed out, feeling goosebumps erupt on her skin which had nothing to do with the temperature of the room.

"I think you like it," Lucas whispered right next to her, and smiled satisfactorily when he felt Peyton jerk in front of him. So she wasn't as immune to his charms as she had led on.

"Lucas, please," Peyton begged, needing him to move away, because if he didn't she wouldn't be able to control herself much longer. Like Brooke had said she hadn't had sex in over a year, and having Lucas so close to her wasn't helping matters at all. All she wanted to do right now was turn around, shove him against the fridge and have her way with him.

"Please what Peyton?" Lucas teased trailing his lips on the visible part of her neck feeling her shiver under his touch. He knew he was crossing limits, breaking the barrier between them, he knew that the right thing to do was to pull away now and apologize, but he couldn't. This was the boldest he had been with Peyton since, well since the week before his wedding, and now that he was this close to her, his body wasn't letting him pull away. Especially not when he knew that Peyton was just as affected by this as he was.

"You need to move away Lucas," Peyton choked out, but was immediately silenced when she felt Lucas leave a trail of scorching kisses across the back of her neck as his left hand found the exposed skin below her tank top.

"I don't think you want me to move, Peyton," Lucas whispered against her neck, "I think you're enjoying this just as much as I am."

"God Lucas, what the hell are you trying to do to me?" Peyton gasped out as Lucas hand made its way under her tank top.

"Turn around Peyton. Turn around and let me see your beautiful face," Lucas whispered as he made to turn Peyton around in his arms.

"You look so amazing Peyt," he said quietly once she had turned around, his eyes roamed over her face desperately, wanting to take in everything about her. Her face was flushed, beads of sweat already lining her forehead, her hair was a tangled mess, her eyes closed and lips chapped. And as he saw cheeks redden from his compliment, he could have sworn that he had never seen anything more stunning in his life.

"Lucas," Peyton whined trying to get his attention once again, missing the feeling of his lips on her neck. All rational thought had left her brain and all that she knew now was that she wanted Lucas. She had already accepted that when it came to Lucas, she had no self control, and now that he was here and so clearly wanted her, she wasn't going to deny herself this.

"Tell me what you want Peyton," Lucas mumbled as he pushed Peyton against the counter and trailed kisses across her neck, making his way up to her face.

"Kiss me," Peyton demanded, grabbing his head and pulling him up so that they were face to face.

"Your wish is my command," Lucas said as he started to lower his head, his lips desperate to meet hers.

Peyton could feel the excitement building in her stomach as she felt Lucas' breath on her face. She knew that any second his lips would claim hers, he was literally a millimeter apart and then- "Mommmyyyyy!"

Allison's frightened scream caused both Peyton and Lucas to come crashing back to reality. Peyton jumped a foot in the air and immediately took 2 big steps away from Lucas trying to calm her racing heart.

"I am in the kitchen honey," Peyton choked out, her breathing uneven and her cheeks flushed.

"Mommy there's a monster in Aunt Brooke's room," Allison cried as she ran into the kitchen and blindly into Peyton's shaky arms.

"A monster? Al what are you talking about?" Peyton asked confused as she tried to calm down her daughter.

As Lucas watched Allison explain the "monster" to Peyton, he felt like screaming in frustration. He loved his daughter, he really did, but right now he wasn't feeling the love. He was so close to kissing Peyton, and the interruption was more than enough for him to want to pull out his hair. This was the perfect chance, one that wouldn't be coming any time soon again, and Allison had come along and ruined it all. Couldn't the monsters have waited 30 more seconds?

But as he watched Peyton comfort Allison, he groaned at how irrational he was being. This wasn't Allison's fault, she didn't know that her parents were just in for a hot make out session or even more. He felt like an ass for blaming this on his daughter, when it was actually all his fault. He knew he should have stopped, because this was going way too fast for Peyton. They had just become friends for gods sake, he should have respected her boundaries and not try to see how far she would have let him go. He had gone too far, he should have looked past the moment, because once the haze would be over, the awkwardness he had been trying to end between Peyton and him would return again in full force. So instead of moving a step forward in this relationship, his one stupid move had moved them 5 steps back.

He was brought out of his reverie when he heard Allison call out to him.

"Daddy?" Allison asked surprised as she turned around to look at Lucas for the first time.

"Hey princess," Lucas greeted softly as Allison launched herself in his opened arms.

"What are you doing here so early?" Allison asked cuddling into Lucas' shoulder.

"I have a movie appointment at 2, so I decided to come visit you early. Is that a problem?" Lucas asked ruffling her hair.

"Nope," Allison said giggling, "I am happy you're here daddy."

"I am happy to be here too princess," Lucas said kissing the top of her head.

"You hungry baby?" Peyton asked interrupting the father-daughter moment.

"Yes, mommy," Allison nodded eagerly.

"So why don't you go upstairs, brush your teeth and get changed, and when you come downstairs breakfast will be ready," Peyton suggested.

"Are your making french toasts?" Allison asked eagerly.

"As a matter of fact I am," Peyton said smiling.

"Yay," Allison said excitedly, "I love french toasts. Come on daddy, you gotta help me get ready."

"Uh, maybe I should stay here and help your mom," Lucas said hesitantly wanting to make things right with Peyton as soon as possible.

"No," Peyton said immediately, "I am fine here, you go upstairs with Allison, she needs your help more than I do."

"Peyton—"

"Not now Lucas, I am really not in the mood," Peyton interrupted firmly.

"But—"

"Your daughter is waiting," Peyton snapped pointing to the door where sure enough Allison was waiting.

"Fine," Lucas said admitting defeat, "But this matter isn't over."

_To kiss away the difference_

_I know you hate this one_

_The violins make no sound_

_And I begin to feel the ground_

_All we know is distance_

_We're close and then we run_

_Kiss away the difference_

_I know you hate this one_

**8 p.m that night**

Lucas shifted his feet nervously as he once again stood in front of Peyton and Brooke's house. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Peyton after the "incident" in the morning, and he knew that she was doing her very best to avoid a one-on-one meeting with him. But he wasn't going to let that happen, he wasn't going to let her pull her walls back up again. He needed to talk to her and clear the air between them. He hadn't made all that progress with her for nothing.

So as soon as his meeting was over, he had immediately made his way to see Peyton, not wanting to waste any more time.

As soon as he rung the doorbell, he heard quick footsteps approaching the door from the other side. Apparently they were expecting someone.

"Lucas?" Brooke asked surprised as she opened the door.

"Hey Brooke," Lucas said stepping inside the hallway, "You seem surprised to see me?"

"I really wasn't expecting you," Brooke said truthfully.

"But you were expecting someone, weren't you?" Lucas asked shrewdly.

"No, why would you say that?" Brooke asked too quickly.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe it was the quick footsteps at the sound of the doorbell, or maybe it's the fancy dress you're wearing. I know for a fact that you don't dress up to go to bed," Lucas said sarcastically.

"Alright fine, so I was expecting someone else. Is that a problem?" Brooke asked rolling her eyes.

"No, I just find it amusing how you're still so shy about your relationship with Julian," Lucas said teasingly.

"I am not shy, just—"

"Scared," Lucas said completing the sentence, "You and Peyton aren't too different you know?"

"It's complicated, Luke," Brooke sighed.

"You know that's the lamest thing I have ever heard, and yet it seems to be the mantra on every girl's lips whenever things get a little crazy, it's complicated. It's only as complicated as you make it to be Brooke. I know you've been hurt in the past, and I take full responsibility of that, but Julian is a good guy, and he really truly cares about you. Don't screw this up because of your insecurities because you deserve to be happy Brooke Davis." Lucas said seriously.

"So do you," Brooke said softly.

"I am fighting for my happy ending, Brooke," Lucas said seriously.

"I know you are," Brooke said, "And trust me, you're very close to achieving it. She's falling for you Luke, it's not going to take long now."

"I guess," Lucas said hesitantly.

"What happened?" Brooke probed, immediately sensing that there was something wrong, "Did something go wrong? Did you do something stupid?"

"I almost kissed her Brooke," Lucas said torturously.

"That's it?" Brooke asked in relief.

"What do you mean that's it? This is major Brooke. I crossed the limit, we were getting along so nicely and then I go and make that stupid move, and things go back to square one once again," Lucas said frustrated.

"Look I knew something like this was going to happen sooner or later. There's no way you and Peyton can stay friends without things getting physical. It just doesn't happen that way with you guys," Brooke said seriously.

"Yeah you try explaining that to her," Lucas said shaking his head.

"Look this isn't as bad as you're making it to be. I think on some level Peyton was expecting this to happen, and if she didn't push you away, that means that to a certain level she is willing to let you in. She's confused as hell right now, Luke, so what you need to do is go and try to make her understand the status of your relationship. She needs to know what you guys are, because we both know how much she hates being in the dark about things," Brooke advised.

"Yeah that's what I came here for. I don't want to wait too long and make things more complicated than they already are. So where is she?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know," Brooke admitted, "She asked me to drop Allison at Nate and Haley's place, and told me that she was going out to clear her head."

"Oh great. There are a million places she could have gone to. No one knows Tree Hill better than Peyton does," Lucas said disappointed.

"Well if it's any help, she took her paint set with her," Brooke offered.

"She still paints?" Lucas asked interested.

"Rarely," Brooke said, "Mostly when she just needs an escape from life."

"I know where she is," Lucas said a smile forming on his lips.

"Well I am glad I could help," Brooke said rolling her eyes.

"Oh you did help Brooke, more than you know," Lucas said pulling the smaller woman into a hug, "Thank you, for everything."

"You're welcome Luke," Brooke said smiling sincerely, "Now go and get your girl."

Nodding, Lucas turned around and quickly walked out of the door leaving a smiling Brooke behind.

He had just reached his car, when he saw Julian's car pull up behind him.

"Hey man, where are you running off too?" Julian asked getting out of the car.

"I am going to make things right with my girl," Lucas answered smiling, "So I don't have much time, but before I go, I want you to promise me something."

"Okay," Julian said uncertainly.

"I want you to promise me that you will never hurt Brooke," Lucas said seriously.

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Julian said a couple of seconds later, his eyes shining with sincerity.

"Good," Lucas said nodding, "I really don't fancy kicking your ass anyways. Now go in, she's waiting for you."

"Good luck with Peyton," Julian said grinning as he made his way up the walkway.

Smiling, Lucas got in his car and made his way the one place he knew Peyton would be at.

--

"I knew I would find you here," Lucas said softly as he walked into the small clearing next to the river bank to find Peyton staring intently at the dark river

"Lucas," Peyton screeched, jumping 5 feet in the air from where she was standing, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you. I went to your place and Brooke told me that you had gone out to clear you head," Lucas said.

"How did you find me here?" Peyton asked suspiciously, "No one has found me here before."

"I know you better that you give me credit for," Lucas said coming to stand next to her.

"That still doesn't answer my question," Peyton snapped, not in the mood of his small talk.

"I followed you here in our sophomore year in high school. After every fight or misunderstanding, you always seemed to come here, usually with your paint set trying to get rid of your anger and frustration. So when Brooke told me that you left with your paint set, I knew immediately that you would have taken refuge here," Lucas said.

"Why didn't you ever mention this to me?" Peyton asked stunned.

"Because I liked knowing that I knew something about you that no one else did," Lucas said simply.

"This place calms me down, you know," Peyton admitted softly.

"I know," Lucas said quietly.

"I found this after my mother died. This has been my sanctuary ever since I was 9 years old," Peyton revealed.

"I wish I had known you when you lost your mother," Lucas said regretfully.

"Why?" Peyton asked confused.

"So that I could have given you a shoulder to lean on. So that you wouldn't have to go through that pain all alone," Lucas said honestly.

"I survived just fine without you," Peyton said, she didn't say it maliciously just as a simple statement of truth.

"You always do, but you don't always have to do everything alone you know. It's okay to have someone take care of you, it's okay to lean on someone and have them share your pain," Lucas said.

"I've always had Brooke," Peyton said, "She's always been there for me, mostly there to help me go through the pain you have caused me."

"Yeah," Lucas said lowering his head in guilt and shame. How was he supposed to answer a statement like that?

"We went too far this morning," Peyton said a couple of minutes later.

"I know," Lucas said apologetically, "And I am sorry for that. I should have stopped, I knew that we were moving too fast and yet I didn't do anything about it."

"It's just as much your fault as it is mine. I should have pushed you away, I am not ready for this yet, Lucas," Peyton said honestly.

"I know you're not. We're not in that stage of our relationship—"

"What relationship Lucas?" Peyton interrupted, "What are we? Where do we stand?"

"You called me your boyfriend earlier," Lucas pointed out, "I want to be your boyfriend, Peyton, I want you to be mine. I want to be able to hold you and kiss you without the fear of rejection, but you're the one calling the cards here. We're what you want us to be, nothing more, nothing less," Lucas said.

"These past 2 weeks have been a huge rollercoaster for me," Peyton started after a couple of seconds, "The walls of hatred that I had built around my heart in the past 3 years are all crumbling down at such a fast pace that it's scaring the shit out of me. The power you have over me is indescribable, and no matter how much I want to be with you, I am just not ready for that yet. I am learning to trust you again, yet I am not fully there yet. I know I am going to get there one day, but that day is not today."

"I told you that I am willing to wait for you forever, Peyton," Lucas said taking her hands in his, "I am not going anywhere anymore, I am done running. So take your time because the day you'll be ready, I'll be right here waiting. I love you."

"I can't say that back to you just yet, Lucas," Peyton said regretfully.

"It's okay. I wasn't expecting you to, either. It's going to take more than 2 weeks for you to fully open up to me, and I am okay with that, because I know that one day you will be able to day those 3 words to me, and that day would be the best day of my life." Lucas said looking her straight in the eye.

"I was hoping you would say that," Peyton said smiling slightly.

"So about what happened today—"

"Let's just forget about it. We have enough issues to worry about without adding one more to that list," Peyton said firmly.

"So we are okay? No more avoiding?" Lucas asked.

"We are okay as we were yesterday. And yes, no more avoiding," Peyton said rolling her eyes, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Good, but I still wanna make things up to you," Lucas said.

"Lucas you don't have to make anything up to me, seriously I—"

"I want you to go on a date with me. Just the two of us," Lucas interrupted.

"What? A date? Luke you can't be serious. Us going on a date is a really bad idea," Peyton said seriously. After what had happened that morning, Peyton really didn't trust herself to be alone with Lucas even for a minute, let alone multiple hours.

"Come on Peyton, why not? We've never really been on a real date before so why not give it a try? I promise I won't take advantage of you," Lucas said grinning.

"I am not really a date person. You of all people should know that Lucas," Peyton protested weakly.

"There is no harm in something new is there? And it's just dinner, music, some good conversation, and maybe a walk on the beach, it isn't anything you haven't done before. Come on please, you'll have a good time, I promise," Lucas said convincingly.

"And if I don't?" Peyton asked half heartedly, knowing that it wouldn't be long before she gave in. She really had no self control when it came to Lucas.

"Just give the word and I'll drive you back home, no questions asked. Even though I am pretty sure the chances of that happening are slim to none," Lucas said confidently.

"Pretty sure of yourself aren't you?" Peyton asked for the second time that day.

"I am always sure when it comes to you," Lucas said sincerely, "So you'll come?"

"I am all out of argument, so yeah I guess I will," Peyton agreed, her heart beating wildly in her chest as she saw the look of pure delight cross over Lucas' face.

"You won't regret this Peyton, I promise," Lucas said squeezing her hands between his.

"You're making a lot of promises tonight Lucas," Peyton whispered, mesmerized by the adorning look in his eyes.

"And I intend to keep every single one of it. Trust me Peyton, this is the start of something beautiful," Lucas said softly, and looking into his eyes, Peyton knew that Lucas Scott has never said a truer word before.

_But this is where the story ends  
Or have we just begun  
To kiss away the difference  
I know you hate this one_


	30. No Hope, No Heartbreak

Chapter 30: No hope, no heartbreak

**Dedication:** This chapter is dedicated to **ALL MY READERS** who have come back to read this despite such a long gap between the updates. I love you guys!

_Last Chapter:_

"_You won't regret this Peyton, I promise," Lucas said squeezing her hands between his._

"_You're making a lot of promises tonight Lucas," Peyton whispered, mesmerized by the adorning look in his eyes._

"_And I intend to keep every single one of it. Trust me Peyton, this is the start of something beautiful," Lucas said softly, and looking into his eyes, Peyton knew that Lucas Scott has never said a truer word before._

_

* * *

__We're both looking for something  
We've been afraid to find  
It's easier to be broken  
It's easier to hide_

"Peyton Sawyer you are so dead," Brooke said as she walked into Peyton's room that night after her date with Julian.

"What did I do this time?" Peyton asked tiredly looking up from the sketch she was working on.

"Other than the fact that you didn't tell me that you and Luke almost played tonsil hockey in the kitchen this morning, nothing," Brooke said sarcastically.

"Oh," Peyton started guiltily, "About that…"

"Yeah about that," Brooke said amused at how uncomfortable Peyton looked, "Come on start talking. What happened? I need to know everything to the very last detail."

"Well the morning story isn't that interesting, it's what took place a couple of hours ago that you'll be more interested in," Peyton said mysteriously.

"A couple of hours ago? You mean when Lucas went to see you after I told him you took your paint set somewhere?" Brooke asked intrigued.

"Yeah, apparently he knows me better than I give him credit for," Peyton said rolling her eyes.

"You can't deny that. He DOES know you better than you give him credit for," Brooke said shrugging, "Anyways we're digressing, I am not going anywhere till I get the full details of your day P. Sawyer, so don't even try."

"Fine, fine," Peyton said sighing, "Well this morning after you left, Lucas kinda cornered me in the kitchen and he started like kissing me—"

"Started kissing you? I thought it was an almost kiss," Brooke interrupted.

"It was. I mean the real kiss was an almost kiss, the others, oh god I am not making any sense am I?" Peyton asked.

"Unless you tell me what you mean by the real kiss and the other kisses, I am kind of lost here," Brooke said.

"Well, okay I am going to try explaining it again in a little more descriptive way, but you have to promise me that you're going to keep all your comments to yourself," Peyton said severely.

"Oh something that might incite comments, now I am really curious," Brooke said, her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Brooke…" Peyton started.

"Alright alright, I promise. Just get to the damn story already," Brooke said rolling her eyes.

"Okay so once he cornered me, I asked him to move, so you have to realize that this was in no way my fault. But would he move? Of course not. He was having too much fun watching me squirm. Anyways after that he turned his Lucas Scott charm on, and before I could do anything about it, he started kissing me on the neck and—Brooke I told you not to say a word! Moving on, once his lips were on my neck, how the hell was I supposed to think straight. All rational thoughts and coherent words flew out of the window, and then he looked up and told me I was beautiful. And at that moment I did the stupidest, most humiliating thing in the world. I asked him to kiss me. Would you believe that? I completely lost it at that point. And well his lips were about a millimeter away from mine when Allison comes running in and effectively putting a stop to anything that might have happened," Peyton said groaning.

_Looking at you, holding my breath,  
For once in my life, I'm scared to death,  
I'm taking a chance, letting you inside._

"Wow," Brooke whistled, "You guys were basically having sex in the kitchen with your daughter sleeping upstairs. How scandalous. I didn't expect it from you P. Sawyer, but I am glad my training is coming to some use."

"We were _not_ having sex in the kitchen Brooke," Peyton said shortly, "We didn't even kiss, Allison made sure of that."

"Someone sounds a little bitter," Brooke noticed lightly.

"Bitter? Why the heck would I be bitter? I am glad nothing happened between us, nothing good would have come out of that," Peyton said seriously.

"Maybe, but just because something isn't right doesn't mean that you can't wish for it," Brooke said wisely.

"Isn't it twisted then that the one thing I wish for is not just wrong but has also give me the more heartbreak than I could possibly imagine?" Peyton asked contemplatively.

"Sometimes you just can't control what you heart wants. I mean you can't chose who you fall in love with, you just do. It just creeps up on you, and before you know it, you're in so deep that you just can't go back anymore," Brooke said softly.

"I just wish it wasn't so hard," Peyton said quietly.

"Don't we all?" Brooke asked. "Do you wish that you could go back and do things differently?"

"What do you mean?" Peyton asked playing with a stray hair.

"I mean do you wish you had never fallen in love with Lucas? Would you go back in time and change the moment you fell for him?"

"You know as crazy as it sounds, I would never do that. Lucas has hurt me more than I thought humanly possible, yet I have never wished that I hadn't fallen in love with him. He made me who I am Brooke, he completed me. So even if I went back in time and had the opportunity to change the moment I fell in love with him, I wouldn't do it," Peyton said honestly, "But if I had the chance to go back, I would change one thing. I would change the answer I gave him when he first proposed to me. If I could go back to that hotel room in LA again, I would say yes before Lucas even had the chance to ask me the question. Does that make me pathetic?"

"No, it just makes you human," Brooke said seriously putting an arm around her troubled friend.

"God I am such a wreck Brooke," Peyton sighed.

"You might be a wreck, but you're also the strongest woman I know," Brooke said honestly.

"That's the biggest oxymoron if I have heard any," Peyton said smiling slightly.

"Not if you look at it my way," Brooke insisted, "I mean yeah you're a wreck, but that's only natural considering all the crap you've been through in the past months, it has honestly been nothing short of a nightmare for you. But despite everything you've been through you're still here. Most people in your position would have either committed suicide, become alcoholics, or gone mad. But you P. Sawyer wake up every morning, you always have a smile on your face for your daughter, and you still haven't given up on life. That my dear friend makes you one of the strongest people I know," Brooke said smiling.

_Feeling alive all over again,  
As deep as the sky, under my skin  
Like being in love, she says  
For the first time  
Maybe I'm wrong,  
But I'm feeling right where I belong  
With you tonight  
Like being in love  
To feel for the first time_

"That was comforting in a very odd way," Peyton said contemplating, "You're very deep tonight Brooke, everything okay?"

"You sound surprised P. Sawyer," Brooke said sounding offended, "I am always deep, you just don't give me enough credit."

"Yeah, yeah sure whatever makes you sleep at night," Peyton said grinning, her sprits lifting slightly by the friendly banter.

"Anyways back to the original conversation. What happened after Allison barged in?" Brooke said getting back to the topic.

"Well what do you expect? I came thundering back to reality, pushed Lucas away and turned to Allison trying to pretend the moment never happened," Peyton said rolling her eyes.

"Bet Lucas wasn't thinking along the same lines as you. I am guessing that's why he was looking for you afterwards?" Brooke asked.

"He tried to talk me immediately afterwards, but I brushed him off. I needed some space and more importantly some time to think. I couldn't do that with him hovering around," Peyton explained.

"That would explain the avoiding thing," Brooke mumbled.

"I wasn't avoiding him," Peyton lied.

"Yeah of course you weren't," Brooke retorted rolling her eyes, obviously not believing her, "You're the queen of avoidance when you want to be Peyton, and sending Allison off to Nathan and Haley's and running away with your paint set are classic signs of Peyton Sawyer evading something unpleasant."

"Well whatever, so maybe I was avoiding him, but it doesn't matter anymore," Peyton sighed.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter anymore?" Brooke asked fearfully.

"We had a long conversation after Lucas found me at the river bank, and we kind of cleared the air, made things a little more clear," Peyton explained vaguely.

"You need to be a little more descriptive than that. You're not satisfying me with your vagueness here," Brooke snapped.

"We talked things through. He told me he wanted to be my boyfriend—"

"Well no surprises there. This wouldn't be such a problem if he was happy just staying friends with you, now would it?" Brooke interrupted sarcastically.

"Anyways, I told him that I wasn't ready for that yet. It's far too soon, you know? I mean he just got divorced like a month ago and I haven't even fully accepted the fact that he's single again—"

"You told him all that?" Brooke asked sounding impressed, knowing fully well how hard it was for Peyton to open up and talk about things that bother her or have a heart to heart with someone. The fact that she might have admitted all of these things to Lucas could have been the first sign that she was opening up to him.

"Some of it," Peyton said shrugging, "But you won't believe what he did after that—"

"He kissed you?" Brooke asked looking bored, "He seems to be doing that a lot lately, or trying to at least."

"No, he did not kiss me. There was no kissing involved this time. But I think what he did was worst. I mean kissing is one thing but asking me on a date? I mean what was he thinking—"

"Wait. Stop, rewind and pause. Did you just say that Lucas Scott asked you out on a date? Like just the two of you? Alone? With dinner and music?" Brooke asked stunned, of all the things she was expecting Peyton to say this had to be the farthest from her mind.

"Well I don't know exactly what he has planned in mind, but yes it's a date with just the two of us alone," Peyton groaned.

"And you agreed?" Brooke asked in awe, this night was becoming too much for her.

"I know what I did was stupid okay, you don't need to gawk at me like that," Peyton said uncomfortably.

_The world that I see inside you_

_Waiting to come to life_

_Waking me up to dreaming_

_Reality in your eyes_

"Stupid?!?" Brooke asked incredulously, "Honey that was the best thing you've done in the past 3 years. You know, other than convincing me to go out with Julian. But that is _so_ not the point. Oh my god, you're going on a date with Lucas—"

"Brooke," Peyton tried to interrupt, but Brooke wouldn't hear any of it.

"-this is soooo exciting. We have so much to do P. Sawyer. Where are you guys going?"

"Brooke," Peyton tried to speak again.

"Or better yet what you going to wear? We so have to go shopping tomorrow—"

"BROOKE DAVIS CALM DOWN," Peyton finally yelled effectively putting a stop to her best friend's excited ramblings.

"What?" Brooke asked put off that Peyton had interrupted such an excitement moment.

"You are taking things way out of proportion," Peyton said calmly, "It is ONE date, one date to try and sort things out between us. I don't want you to get too excited and then just have your hopes crushed when the night ends in a disaster—"

"Seems like you're talking about yourself," Brooke interrupter dryly, "Look I know it's just one date like you so kindly pointed out, but this is you and Lucas. One date is going to become two and then three and then before you know you guys will be married and making lots of more beautiful babies."

"Brooke," Peyton groaned, "You see this is what I mean by you getting too excited. Tomorrow night could very well be a complete nightmare. Lucas and I have so many complicated issues to deal with that I don't even know where to start from, and almost every single one them is messy and ugly and tends to bring out the worst in the both of us. There's animosity, regret, jealousy, mixed feelings, and a ton of unanswered questions that need to be dealt with before things between Lucas and me go any further, if they go any further that is."

"They will go further P. Sawyer. Why are you thinking in such a fricking negative way. The way you are talking its seems as if you want tomorrow night to end in a disaster," Brooke said softly.

"I don't," Peyton replied with a hurt look on her face, "But I don't want to get too hopeful, because where Lucas in concerned I have learnt not to expect too much."

"Well I think you're going to have a great time," Brooke said cheerfully, "So drop that pessimistic, 'I am so sorry for myself' attitude, and cheer up. Or better yet go to sleep, you don't want to show up on your date with large bags under your eyes and scare the guy away."

"Gee that's just the mental image I need right now Brooke," Peyton said sarcastically.

"Just kidding P. Sawyer," Brooke said rolling her eyes, "You know Lucas is going to find you hot no matter what you wear, in fact you showing up with _nothing_ on, would probably rock his—"

"Brooke stop right there," Peyton said firmly a light blush appearing on her cheeks, "I don't even know where you are going with this, so it would be better for my sanity if we don't continue this conversation anyone. Seriously, sometimes I really don't know why I am friends with you."

"Cuz you love me," Brooke said in a duh voice, "And because you'd be completely and utterly lost without me."

"Someone certainly thinks too much of themselves," Peyton said grinning.

"I just tell the truth," Brooke said dramatically clutching her heart.

"You're really something Brooke Davis," Peyton said rolling her eyes at her best friend's antics, knowing fully well that she was just trying to calm her nerves.

"And you wouldn't want me any other way," Brooke said smugly putting her head of Peyton's shoulder.

"I guess not," Peyton teased smiling, putting her head on top of Brooke's and the two friends were lulled into silence for a while.

"It's getting pretty late, you need to sleep," Brooke said firmly as she got up.

"I guess you're right," Peyton sighed closing her eyes.

"Good night, and try not to think too much about Lucas okay? I don't want to come in here and find you brooking yourself," Brooke said with a mock shudder.

"Brooke Davis you are utterly disgusting. If I remember correctly, YOU are the one who find pleasure in brooking yourself, thus the name brooking," Peyton said disgusted.

"Oh please, that was a million years ago," Brooke said not at all embarrassed, "Plus, I have a boyfriend, so sex isn't a problem for me, I can have it anywhere I want—"

"Okay way too much information. I have walked in on you and Julian way more times than I would have liked, I really don't need to hear the details," Peyton exclaimed looking appalled.

"Anyways the point is that you need to get laid, and who knows tomorrow might be your lucky night," Brooke said teasingly.

"You know what, think of it as whatever you want, it's obvious that no matter what I say your mind is not getting out of the gutter any time soon," Peyton said lying down on her pillow and closing her eyes, indicating to Brooke that it was time for her to leave.

"Fine, fine I get the hint," Brooke said sighing, "I'll leave you to your dirty, dirty thoughts about Broody, sweet dreams."

And before Peyton could so much as open her mouth to reprimand her friend _again_, she was gone, an evil smirk on her face.

Smiling slightly as her conversation with Brooke replayed in her head, she turned to her side as her thoughts wandered to what tonight had in store for her.

_Looking at you,_

_Holding my breath,_

_For once in my life_

_I'm scared to death,_

_I'm taking a chance,_

_Letting you inside._

--

**The next morning**

"Lucas Scott I can't believe you got Peyton to agree to go on a date with you," Haley exclaimed excitedly as she barged into Lucas' room at 8:30 in the morning, waking her best friend from his much needed sleep.

"Haley not now,' Lucas groaned, "It's too early."

"I don't give a damn what time it is," Haley said dragging the covers off Lucas' bed and opening the blinds letting the harsh rays of sunlight hit Lucas' eyes, "I need details, and I need them now. I can't believe you didn't call me last night, I am supposed to be your best friend, I have been helping to gain Peyton's trust, and yet when she finally says yes to going on a date with you, you don't even have the courtesy to inform me. Seriously Luke—"

"Hales, you're rambling," Lucas intervened, now fully awake.

"Sorry, but I feel so left out that you didn't tell me," Haley pouted.

"Haley I didn't tell anyone. It was really late by the time I got home, and trust me I wanted to call you and tell you but I didn't want to disturb you," Lucas apologized.

"You got Peyton to agree to go on a date with you. I need the 411 now. What happened? What did you say? Did you beg? Did she resist?"

"Woah, woah Hales, calm down. One question at a time. God you're more excited than I am about this whole thing," Lucas said grinning at his best friend's excited expression.

"If you think I am excited, you obviously haven't talked to Brooke yet," Haley said rolling her eyes, "She's the one who called me at 7 this morning and told me about the whole date thing. I swear I could see her jumping up and down like a little kid when she gave me the news."

"Brooke Davis was up at 7 just to tell you that I asked Peyton on a date?" Lucas asked stunned.

"Trust me I was shocked when I saw my called id flashing Brooke's name. I was sure I was hallucinating," Haley said seriously.

"What did she want other than just telling you the news?" Haley asked curiously.

"I know Brooke. She couldn't have called you at 7 in the _morning_ just to tell you that Peyton agreed to go on a date with me. There has to be a hidden agenda," Lucas said knowingly.

"You're good," Haley said appreciatively as Lucas smirked, "She wanted to recruit me for a girls' day. She says she wants the 3 of us to go to the mall and the spa in the afternoon to get Peyton prepped for her date tonight. I don't know how willing Peyton would be to go with her plans, but knowing Brooke she'll most probably end up getting her way."

"I don't want Peyton to start resenting the idea of this date, Hales," Lucas groaned, "You gotta tell Brooke to not push her to the limits otherwise by the time the time for the actual date comes she'll be ready to bite my head off."

"Isn't she always ready to bite your head off?" Haley said grinning, but her grin faded as soon as she saw the crushed look on Lucas' face.

"Sorry, bad joke," She said apologetically.

"No, it's just the truth," Lucas said sighing.

"Luke I didn't mean to put you in bad spirits, I was just kidding with you. Today is your big day, and me and my big mouth has gone and ruined it," Haley said looking upset.

"Hales don't be upset," Lucas said soothingly, "I know you were joking, the comment just hit closer to home than you would have thought. I know I am not Peyton's favorite person, and I know that it still requires a lot of work for me to get up there, but this tonight, getting her to go out with me, that's the beginning. She's willing to give a chance Hales, she giving me a chance."

"And I am so happy for you Luke. I know you've worked hard to get here, to gain that kind of confidence from Peyton after how guarded she's been from everyone around her, that's definitely a step in the right direction. But Lucas, please promise me one thing. Promise me that you're won't do anything stupid tonight—"

"I am—"

"No, let me finish. I was there when Peyton was at her lowest point, and I saw her build her way back up to the person she is today. She is one of the strongest people I know, and yet her heart is very fragile. It's been broken one too many times, and honestly that heartbreak is the one thing I don't want to ever see her go through again. I know you have no intention on messing up your date tonight, but you sometimes tend to lose your common sense when you're around Peyton. I need you to be careful about what you say to her, think twice before you speak. I know that this sounds extremely childish, but you sometimes don't think before you speak, and you end up hurting the people you love the most. You can't do that to Peyton, not anymore. This is your _very_ last chance. You screw this up Lucas, and trust me that would be it. So, please just be careful."

"I'm really a screw up huh?" Lucas said humorlessly.

"Just a little," Haley said honestly, "Especially around Peyton. But just keep things simple tonight okay? Don't push her. Go at her pace, listen to what she has to say, and whatever you do, don't and I mean don't place any blame on her, not about why your relationship ended, not about why she didn't tell you about Allison, nothing. The last thing you want her to think is that you took her out just to pick on her shortcomings."

"Okay Hales I may be a dim wit at times, but even I am not that crazy. I'm going to try and mend our relationship tonight, not take it 5 steps behind," Lucas said seriously.

"Well I am glad you have some sense in that big head of yours," Haley said teasingly trying to lighten the tense atmosphere in the room.

"Thanks Hales, I am glad you think so highly of me," Lucas said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," Haley said brightly, "And before we get carried away by this mindless argument, where are you taking her?"

"What?" Lucas asked confused by the sudden switch in topics.

"Where are you taking Peyton for your date tonight?" Haley repeated.

"Oh, I can't tell you that. It's a surprised," Lucas replied.

"Oh come on Luke, this is me, Haley, your best friend. You can tell me, I swear I won't tell anyone," Haley pleaded.

"Nope, no can do Haley. You're spending the entire afternoon with Brooke and the girls, the chance that you might let something spill is very likely, especially with Brooke around," Lucas said shaking his head.

"Thanks Luke, glad you think so highly of me," Haley said pouting repeating his words.

"Oh come on Hales, be a good sport. I want this to be a perfect surprise for Peyton. I just don't want to take any chances," Lucas said trying to make his best friend understand.

"Fine, fine," Haley grumbled, "Go plan your stupid date in secret, but I swear Lucas I need every single detail tomorrow."

"Thanks Hales, you're the best friend a guy could ask for," Lucas said engulfing Haley in a big bear hug.

"I better be," Haley said smiling, "Anyways I better get going on, I have to stop by at the studios to pick up some papers, and I am pretty sure you have to plan you 'perfect' date, so I'll leave you to it."

"Alright, see you later Hales, and once again thanks for everything," Lucas said as he got off the bed and kissed his best friend lightly on the cheek.

"No problem, that's what friends are for right? And speaking of friends, Nathan told me to relay this message to you: he said that no matter how much he loves you and want this thing with you and Peyton to work, if you screw with Peyton this time around he will kick your ass all the way to Timbuktu and back, and trust me he was serious."

"Thanks for the warning Hales, I'll keep it in mind," Lucas said smiling.

"Oh you haven't heard anything yet. Brooke plans to visit you sometimes later today," Haley said smirking.

"Oh god," Lucas groaned, a visit from Brooke Davis listing all the things she would do to him if he hurts her best friend was not something he was looking forward to listening because he knew Brooke's threats weren't just empty words. One foot out of line where Peyton was involved, and she would kill him.

"Peyton means a lot to us Lucas. We're just looking out for her," Haley said seriously, "And just remember that this time it's not just about you and Peyton, a child's heart is involved too, the stakes are much higher this time around."

And with that, Haley walked out of Lucas' room, leaving him to his thoughts.

_We're crashing_

_Into the unknown_

_We're lost in this_

_But it feels like home_

--

**7 o' clock that evening**

At exactly 7 that evening, the silence in the Davis-Sawyer household was shattered by the loud ringing of the doorbell.

"I'll get it," Brooke shouted out excitedly as she jumped out her bar stool in the kitchen and made a beeline to the door, but Allison has already beat her to it.

"Daddy," Allison exclaimed as she opened the door to see her father standing on the other side wearing a light blue button down shirt that made his eyes look even brighter, and neatly pressed black slacks. The top 2 buttons of his shirt were left open showing a bit of his well sculptured chest, and made his appearance look both casual and formal at the same time. And the single lily he was holding in his right hand completed the perfect picture.

"Princess," Lucas smiled bending down and giving his daughter a big bear hug, kissing her forehead softly before pulling away.

"You look so handsome daddy," Allison noted, "Are you and mommy going out somewhere?"

"Yeah honey, we're going out to dinner," Lucas explained, "You're going to be okay here with your Aunt Brooke right?"

"Oh yes," Allison said with an excited twinkle in her eyes, "Brookie promised me that we're going to do a lot of fun stuff tonight."

"I am sure Brooke has a lot of stuff planned for you. Just don't let her get too sugar high okay? A sugar high Brooke is a disaster in the making," Lucas said teasingly.

"Hey, I am right here you know," Brooke said indignantly as she sent Lucas a glare, "And I know how to control my sugar level thank you very much."

"Sugar high still a sore topic for you huh?" Lucas asked smirking.

"Do you want to make it to your date in one piece Lucas?" Brooke asked in a dangerously sweet voice.

"Alright, alright, shutting up now," Lucas said hastily, knowing better than to cross a pissed off Brooke, especially now when he was minutes away from taking her best friend on a date. That thought enough was causing his heart to beat wildly in his chest, he wondered what would happen when he finally _saw _Peyton.

"Wise move," Brooke said smiling, back to her normal mood again.

"Speaking of my date, where is she?" Lucas asked a little hoarsely.

Instead of answering him, Brooke turned towards the staircase and shouted, "Peyton your boyfriend is here, and he's nearly wetting his pants in his anticipation to see you."

"Brooke—" Lucas started embarrassed, but the words died is his throat as he heard Peyton's footsteps approaching the staircase.

"Brooke do you really have to be so crude?" Peyton asked disapprovingly as she appeared on the top of the stairway. However, her words didn't register in Lucas' head because as soon as his eyes met hers, Lucas could have sworn that his heart had stopped beating.

_I'm feeling alive all over again_

_As deep as the sky that's under my skin_

_Like being in love, she says, for the first time_

_Maybe I'm wrong, I'm feeling right_

_Where I belong with you tonight_

_Like being in love to feel for the first time_

_

* * *

_**A/N:** Wow, how long has it been? 3 months? Longer? I cannot even begin to say how sorry I am at my lack of updates, because honestly no words will justify such a long break from writing. You guys have been so amazing to me, and you definitely deserve better than this. But in the past couple of months with my injury and a couple of deaths in the family, I had completely lost my writing mojo. I just couldn't write, and I am so sorry that my personal problems affected my writing in such a major way. But One Tree Hill returned, and I started getting out of my writing slump. So after 3 weeks of writings and 2 drafts, this is chapter 30 for you guys.

Not much Leyton in this chapter obviously, but don't worry the next chapter is completely centered around the 2 of them. This chapter was originally supposed to be much longer, and it included the date, but I thought that you guys deserved an update and this was a good place to cut of the chapter. However, I have already started working on the next chapter, and it's coming around pretty nicely, so I am going to do my very best to get it up by next week. We have about 4-5 chapters left for this story, and I want to complete before its first year anniversary which is in November, so I am going to do my best to be consistent with the updates.

Since I want to get done with this story as soon as possible, I have set up some sort of a timeline for me, in which if everything goes according to the plan, each new chapter will be posted within 10 days of an update. So you should expect the Chapter 31 to be up by October 17th the latest, but since I have already started on it, I'll try my best to get it up by next Wednesday/Thursday. I know a lot of you won't believe me till I actually follow through with this, so I'll do my best to gain your guys' trust and update within the time frame.

Also, I was reading another fanfic and I got this really good idea that will motivate you guys to review and motivate me to keep on writing, ****SO PLEASE READ AHEAD…**

Every person who reviews for this chapter, gets a snippet of the next chapter. And I don't mean just one or 2 lines, I mean a whole 1-2 pages depending on the size of the chapter (but it'll usually be about 1/8 of the chapter). For those of you guys who leave unsigned reviews, just give your email address and I'll email them to you guys. Everyone gets the same pages, so that way everything remains fair. This way you guys won't have to wait that long, and that would help me keep focused on writing because I will have to work myself around a deadline.

So how long before you get the snippet? I will have the snippet completed 2-3 days after I have posted the chapter, so that's when I'll start messaging/emailing them to you guys. I'll have the snippet for chapter 31 done by Saturday, so that's when you'll get it. For those of you who review on and after Saturday till the next chapter is posted, will get the snippet within a day of your review (UNLESS you review the day when I am going to post the whole new chapter up, then you won't get the snippet because the full chapter would be posted in a couple of hours anyways, so there is no point).

So I hope you guys don't think this as offensive bribery, because really that is not the point of this. This will help me pace myself better and you guys will be getting a sneak peek of what's to come in the next chapter which will hopefully make the wait seem shorter. So I see this as a win/win situation. So don't flame me about this idea, if you don't like it, message me privately and if I have enough people not liking this idea then I will stop doing it from next chapter! It's just something I though I'd experiment, and I really hope you guys like it!

So with that said I hope you guys liked the chapter, and as an extra extra bonus here are my favorite lines from next chapter:

"_The Cure is playing," Lucas whispered softly._

"_I noticed," Peyton said quietly mesmerized by the adoring look in his eyes._

"_You know what I am supposed to do when the Cure is playing right?" Lucas breathed out…_

Well that's it for now; feel free to speculate where this might be going. And by the way, I used a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter about what a plausible conclusion of Leyton's date might be. Anyone pick on anything? (_Hint: It's in the Lucas/Haley conversation)_

I can't wait to hear from you guys, so if you have any questions/concerns let me know and I'll answer them the best I can.

**REVIEWS ARE MY BABIES**, so don't forget to leave one!

**Song:** _First time- Lifehouse_


	31. To New Beginnings

Chapter 31: To New Beginnings

_Last Chapter:_

_"Speaking of my date, where is she?" Lucas asked a little hoarsely._

_Instead of answering him, Brooke turned towards the staircase and shouted, "Peyton your boyfriend is here, and he's nearly wetting his pants in his anticipation to see you."_

_"Brooke—" Lucas started embarrassed, but the words died is his throat as he heard Peyton's footsteps approaching the staircase._

_"Brooke do you really have to be so crude?" Peyton asked disapprovingly as she appeared on the top of the stairway. However, her words didn't register in Lucas' head because as soon as his eyes met hers, Lucas could have sworn that his heart had stopped beating._

_

* * *

You need a friend  
I'll be around  
Don't let this end  
Before I see you again  
What can I say to convince you  
To change your mind of me?_

"Oh look P. Sawyer you've already got Lucas drooling," Brooke teased as she took in Lucas' stunned expression.

"Shut it, Brooke," Peyton admonished, blushing slightly as she felt Lucas' eyes roaming over her body.

"Broody boy you might want to close your mouth or you won't have any saliva left for your tonsil hockey match later," Brooke continued ignoring Peyton.

"Brooke—" Peyton started but was interrupted as Lucas' chose that moment to start speaking again.

"You think you're so funny Brooke," Lucas said in a hoarse voice as he came out of his stupor. He knew what Brooke was trying to do, and he needed to put a stop to it before Peyton got so uncomfortable that she decided to cancel their date.

"I don't think, I know," Brooke said as she stuck out her tongue childishly.

"I am sorry about her," Lucas said turning to Peyton ignoring Brooke.

"Why are you sorry? She's my best friend," Peyton said rolling her eyes as she sent a glare towards a smiling Brooke.

"Fine, fine, I know when I am not being appreciated," Brooke said dramatically.

"And she finally gets the hint," Peyton said smiling as she turned around and faced Lucas properly for the first time. And what a mistake that was. She hadn't realized how good he looked, and she couldn't help but let her eyes roam around his the torso. His blue button down fit his body perfectly and showed just the right amount of his perfectly sculptured chest and made his eyes look a thousand times bluer. As her thoughts went to his eyes, her eyes immediately went to his face and she almost choked when she realized that he was looking straight at her and had caught her checking him out.

However, before she could do anything, his eyes found hers and she felt like she couldn't breathe so deep was the intensity of his stare.

"Well apparently he has the same effect on her that she has on him," Brooke muttered to herself grinning at their blatant chemistry, it was so strong that she felt that a blind person could have felt it.

She was brought out of her thoughts as Allison appeared next to her a camera in her hand and a big smile on her face.

"I got the camera Brookie," Allison said as she handed the camera to Brooke, her face glowing with happiness as she looked at her parents who were still lost in their own little world.

"What do you say about giving your parents a wake up call?" Brooke asked excitedly.

"Wake up call?" Allison asked looking confused.

"Well I want to throw a bucket of cold water on them, but I am afraid it will ruin Peyton's dress and makeup something I have slaved over for hours, so I guess a flash would have to suffice," Brooke muttered more to herself than to Allison as the little girl looked confusedly at her godmother.

"You ready kiddo?" Brooke asked as she positioned the camera in front of her eyes, and without warning she snapped the picture causing an unnaturally bright flash to light up the room that brought Lucas and Peyton thundering back to earth.

"Aah I've been blinded!" Lucas groaned immediately shielding his eyes.

"Blinded by the flash or by Peyton's beauty?" Brooke asked mockingly.

"I was blinded by Peyton's beauty since the first time I saw her in seventh grade and I haven't recovered since. But this, this was just mean," Lucas said cheekily and he rubbed his temples.

"Alright Mr. Flattery are we actually going to leave or are you planning on having this war of words with Brooke all night?" Peyton asked shaking her head, but Lucas could see a faint blush creeping on her face at his words.

Leaning down so that his lips were right next to her ear, Lucas softly whispered, "It's not flattery if it's true," pleased to see a slight shiver go down her at his words. Straightening up, he continued, "But yeah you're right, we should really leave now."

"Wouldn't want to start the date on the wrong foot and miss out on your reservations now would we?" Brooke asked teasingly as she came forward with Allison to say their goodbyes, but Lucas could see right through her impassive act- she was trying to figure out what the surprise location was.

"See that's the thing Brooke, there are no reservations, so there is no chance of being late," Lucas said lightly, a mysterious glint in his eyes that caused Brooke to glower at him.

"Fine, don't say anything," Brooke said rolling her eyes, "But make sure P. Sawyer has an amazing time, otherwise I am going to have to come over and kick your sorry ass. And don't even try anything stupid because I'm-"

"Way to not scare the guy away, _mom_," Peyton interrupted deadpanned.

"It was just mandatory pleasantries we needed to get out of the way P. Sawyer. Lucas understands," Brooke said waving her hand as if it was nothing.

"Well then we definitely need to get out of here before anymore pleasantries are exchanged," Peyton said as she grabbed her purse and turned towards Allison who was watching the whole scene with an unusual quietness, "Baby, mommy and daddy are going to leave now so be good for your Aunt Brooke, alright?"

"I will," Allison replied nodding her head fervently, "Aunt Brooke promised that we'll have a good time."

"Just keep it low on the sugar alright? Both of you," Peyton said strictly as she looked at the grinning faces of her daughter and best friend.

"Don't worry Peyton, I have got everything under control," Brooke said confidently and she pushed Peyton towards the door as Lucas said good bye to Allison, "And please, as a favor to me, just let go of everything tonight and relax alright? Have a good time! You two definitely deserve it."

"I promise not to do anything that will intentionally ruin tonight," Peyton said as she pulled Brooke into a quick hug as she watched Lucas coming their way.

"That's all I am asking for," Brooke said softly as she stepped back.

_I'm going to love you more than anyone  
I'm going to hold you closer than before  
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free  
I'll be free for you anytime  
I'm going to love you more than anyone_

"You ready to go?" Lucas asked holding out his hand for her to take.

"Yeah, I think," Peyton said a little nervously as the situation really started to sink in, "And is this hand holding really necessary?"

"It's a date Peyton, I think I can get away with holding your hand," Lucas said teasingly as Peyton grudgingly took her hand causing both Lucas and Brooke to smile brightly.

"See you later guys," Lucas said as he opened the door and led Peyton outside.

"Bye Brooke, and Allison make sure you go to bed on time and—" But Peyton's rant was cut short when Brooke closed the door on her face causing Lucas to laugh out loud at the stunned look on Peyton's face.

"Well that was nice," Peyton said stiffly as she glared at Lucas.

"Come on Peyton, its Brooke, what did you expect?" Lucas said smiling as he led her to the car, "She just didn't want you worrying for no reason."

"Not to mention that she doesn't like too many reminders," Peyton sighed, "But I am a mother, I am supposed to worry about little stuff like that. I mean if Ally doesn't go to bed on time then she's all cranky in the morning and—"

"And Brooke is her godmother," Lucas interrupted, "She is more than capable of taking care of our daughter."

"I know, I am sorry I am being irrational," Peyton apologized as Lucas opened the car door for her so that she could get in.

"It's okay," Lucas said charmingly as he got behind the wheel, "You wouldn't be Peyton if you didn't have one thing or another going on in that head of yours."

"Am I supposed to take offense to that?" Peyton asked jokingly.

"No, it's supposed to be a compliment," Lucas said giving her a small smile that made her heart flutter.

"So where are we going?" Peyton asked after a minute. Now that they were actually alone, the date had actually started to feel a lot more real and she was nervous beyond imagination. However she thought that was holding up her cool exterior pretty well since Lucas didn't seem to have noticed anything yet, and he was great at reading her body language.

"It's a surprise," Lucas said grinning.

"So I've been hearing all day," Peyton said shaking her head, "Brooke drove Haley and me insane with all of her theories on where this "surprise date" might be."

"I am sorry you had to go through that, but I really wanted to make it special," Lucas said honestly as he chanced a glance at the blond beauty sitting next to him. She seemed quiet comfortable giving the circumstances which really surprised him.

"And others knowing about it would have made it less special?" Peyton asked confused.

"No, but you knowing about it would," Lucas said shrugging, "And knowing Brooke she would have blabbed to you first thing if she found out what I was planning."

"So am I going to like this surprise?" Peyton asked curiously as she turned to look at Lucas for the first time since they had gotten in the car. Making small talk with Lucas was actually helping calm her nerves which was funny because in the beginning talking to him wasn't easy for her, but as time went on she had realized that he was the one person other than Brooke that she could have the most honest conversations with. He knew her better than she probably knew herself which made it so much easier for her to fall for him because despite her many faults he still chose to love her. And slowly Peyton was starting to come to the realization that maybe this was it- life was giving her a third chance at happiness, and she'd be damned if she let it walk away from her this time. The whole day as Brooke and Haley got her ready for her date, she couldn't stop thinking about everything Lucas had done in the past month, and the more she focused on every little detail, the more she felt her the walls she had built around her heart fall and crumble. Maybe it was time she truly gave herself another shot at happiness.

"I am certainly hoping you will," Lucas said giving her a half smile, and for the first time Peyton realized that he looked a little nervous.

"Lucas are you_ nervous_?" Peyton asked incredulously.

"A little bit. Yeah," Lucas answered sheepishly, "It's just that I want this night to be amazing, you know. I don't want to let you down."

"Well while we're being honest with each other, I want you to know that I am nervous too," Peyton admitted.

"Are you?" Lucas asked a little surprised, "You look so cool and collected."

"I'm good at keeping appearances," Peyton shrugged smiling slightly, "But as surprising as this might sound to you, I actually want to make an effort tonight. I want to give this an honest shot."

"Well I hope I don't disappoint then," Lucas said as he took her hand in his and gave it a slight squeeze causing her heart to skip a beat.

_Look in my eyes, what do you see?  
Not just the color  
Look inside of me  
Tell me all you need and I will try  
I will try_

"How far is this mystery location anyways?" Peyton asked a couple seconds later.

"About 10 more minutes," Lucas answered, "Want to play a game in the meantime?"

"As long as it's not 20/20 I am in," Peyton said making a face.

"What?" Lucas asked pretending to be aghast, "But we had so much fun playing it last time."

"Funny, real funny," Peyton said rolling her eyes.

"Kidding Peyton," Lucas replied smiling, "The game I had in mind has more to do with your expertise than weaknesses."

"So what is it?" Peyton asked intrigued.

"It's kind of like a Radio Magic Eight Ball. Haley and I used to play it a lot when we were young and it was fun," Lucas answered.

"And how do you play it?" Peyton questioned turning on the radio.

"Basically, you ask a question and then scan the radio. Afterward, you randomly stop and whatever song is playing is your answer," Lucas explained.

"Sounds fun," Peyton said playing with the dials on the radio, "So who goes first?"

"You go," Lucas said looking at her.

"Alright. What are Brooke and Allison doing right now?" she asked and started to scan. As soon as it stopped, "Party in the USA" began to play causing Lucas to burst out laughing at the stunned look on Peyton's face.

"Should I be worried?" Peyton asked unsure whether to laugh or turn around and go home.

"It's just a game Peyt," Lucas said grinning, "My turn. How popular with the Comet be?" Nelly's "No. 1" was the answer. "Sweet! I am liking this game more and more."

"Okay, I've got one," Peyton said looking thoughtful.

"Make it a good one. We're almost here," Lucas said as he turned on an unfamiliar road.

"Will it work between us this time?" Peyton asked quietly as Lucas turned towards her in shock. Whatever he was expecting her to question, it certainly wasn't _this._

"Now that's just asking for trouble Peyton," Lucas said lightly but his heart was beating fast in anticipation to see what song they would land on.

Suddenly Peyton stopped scanning and her heart literally stopped when she heard the song. The chorus of "More Than Anyone" by Gavin DeGraw filled the car and both Lucas and Peyton went silent as they listened intently to the lyrics._ No way_, Peyton thought stunned and she quickly leaned over and shut the radio off. While she was in some way trying to find an answer, she wasn't expecting to find one that fit their situation so perfectly.

"Well that was something," Lucas said softly turning to look at her as he parked the car in a dark corner, and even though his voice was steady, she could see his hand shaking on the steering wheel. The song had caught both of them off guard.

"Yeah it was," Peyton said starting to feel a little warm as she felt his gaze on her face.

"Well we're here," Lucas said brightly trying to get rid of the awkward atmosphere that had suddenly enveloped them.

"_This_ is where we're going to have our "special" date?" Peyton asked surprised as she looked around- they were completely surrounded by darkness. After all the hype around this she was expecting well _not this_.

"Relax, _this _is not where we're having our date" Lucas said grinning as he hopped out of the car and quickly walked around to get Peyton's door, "It's a little further up, we're going to have to walk a little bit."

"Lucas I don't see anything for miles down the road. Are you sure we're at the right place? Because for all I could know you can be an impostor of Lucas who bought me here to kill me and bury my body somewhere no one will ever find me," Peyton said dramatically as she got out.

"You've got a hyper imagination tonight Peyton," Lucas said as he took her hand in his, "And trust me, I am the real Lucas, because if I wasn't I wouldn't be feeling as if my whole body is on fire just because you're holding my hand."

"Always the charmer Lucas Scott," Peyton said blushing slightly as she allowed Lucas to steer her forward.

"I try," Lucas said, and Peyton could hear the smile in his voice, "But I am about to do something you won't necessarily like."

"And what will that be?" Peyton asked stopping in her tracks as Lucas took out something from his pocket.

"Well-"

"Wait, are you proposing?" Peyton asked losing her sanity for a bit, "Because if you are, I have to tell you that this was supposed to be a date and—"

"Woah, woah, woah, who said anything about a proposal?" Lucas asked stunned as he quickly interrupted Peyton before she got too carried away.

"Well you just took something out of your pocket, and you're being all secretive and somewhat nervous, and- wait you're NOT proposing?" Peyton asked sounding relieved.

"No, I am not. Not today anyways. One step at a time right?" Lucas asked gazing softly into her eyes, and even though it was pitch black around them, Peyton could see every emotion swirling in his baby blues.

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Peyton said shakily as Lucas rubbed soothing circles on her palm, "I am sorry I kinda got carried away. I guess I am more nervous than I thought."

"You've got nothing to be nervous about Peyton," Lucas said as he gently brought one hand to her face, "It's just you and me."

"That's what makes it so scary," Peyton whispered mesmerized by the feeling on his hands on her soft skin.

"This is just a date Peyton," Lucas said quietly as he leaned down so that he was eye level with her, "Just a date between two people who like each other, who're trying to make something work, nothing more, nothing less."

"Okay," Peyton breathed out, finding it hard to concentrate when he was gazing at her like that and his hands were lighting her skin on fire.

_I'm going to love you more than anyone  
I'm going to hold you closer than before  
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free  
I'll be free for you anytime_

"Good," Lucas said straightening up, "What I _did_ want to say before you interrupted me though was that I want to blindfold you."

"Blindfold?" Peyton asked incredulously, "Yeah right. No way in hell am I going to let you do that Lucas Scott."

"Come on Peyton, don't be a spoilsport," Lucas pleaded, "The surprised won't be any fun if you don't agree to this."

"Lucas there is no way I am wearing a blindfold here. I could lose my balance, trip and break my neck for all I know, and then what?" Peyton asked defensively.

"I'll be beside you the whole time," Lucas tried to convince her, "You know I won't let anything hurt you. Trust me?"

"Trust you?" Peyton asked raising her eyebrows, "That's a good one."

"Well we're here to establish that aren't we?" Lucas asked a little hurt but doing a good job of not showing it, "So please, let me do this for you."

"How far do we have to walk?" Peyton asked giving in slightly.

"Just a couple of minutes," Lucas said grinning, he knew he had succeeded in convincing her, "It's not that far, and the road is fairly solid."

"Alright I guess," Peyton said grudgingly, "But if anything happens to me, I am suing you for all your money."

"Deal," Lucas said happily as he walked behind her and placed the blindfold on her eyes. "Can you see anything?" Lucas asked once he had securely tied it.

"Other than utter blackness you mean? Nothing," Peyton said sarcastically.

"Great," Lucas said as he placed his hands on her shoulders and started moving forwards.

"I really don't like this Lucas," Peyton complained after about 10 seconds.

"It will be worth the wait, Peyton, promise," Lucas said smiling. This was going much better than he had expected. She was actually comfortable and other than a few awkward silences things were going pretty great. It seemed like Peyton wasn't lying when she said that she honestly wanted to make an effort, and he was glad for that. He didn't know what caused her sudden change of heart, but he was glad that she wanted this to work just as much he did.

"How much longer?" Peyton asked after a little while, "I am kinda tired of walking in this darkness."

"We're almost there," Lucas said as he took in the sight before him. Everything was perfect just the way he wanted it to be. "Just be a little careful here, there's a small step. That's it. And now I am going to take your blindfold off, stay still."

With shaking fingers and a racing heart Lucas slowly untied the knot that was holding the blindfold to Peyton's eyes. This was it, the moment of truth, and he wanted to see the result of it on Peyton's face.

"Alright here we go," he said softly as he completely took the blindfold off, and Peyton felt herself gasp once her eyes got adjusted to the scene around her. It was the most beautiful, breathtaking view, and Peyton couldn't believe that Lucas had gone through the trouble to do all that- all that just for _her._

She was standing on a pier lit by about a hundred small candles overlooking the sea, and on the other end of it, she could see a gorgeous candlelit table set for two. Soft music was playing in the background and the light sea breeze was making her feel more alive than she had done in years.

"Luke this is absolutely gorgeous," Peyton whispered as she walked to the side of the pier, just taking in the beauty of the sight around her.

"You like it?" Lucas asked nervously as he joined her. He had seen the numerous emotions cross her face as she took in the sight he had prepared for her- surprise, admiration, happiness to name a few, but he wanted to hear to hear the answer from her as well.

"Like it?" Peyton asked shaking her head, "I love it. Everything is perfect! I can't believe you went through all this trouble for a date."

"Not just _a _date, Peyton. _Our _date. Our first date. This is all for you Peyton, just for you," Lucas replied softly, and she turned around to gaze at him with such tenderness in her eyes that he was tempted to lean down and kiss her, but they were taking things slow, and the last thing he wanted was to scare Peyton away because he couldn't keep his hands off her.

_I'm going to love you more than anyone  
Free for you, whenever you need  
We'll be free together baby  
Free together baby_

"You want to go check the dinner arrangements?" Lucas asked after a couple seconds as he broke their heated gaze.

"Yeah, yeah, that would be great," Peyton said smiling. It amazed her how comfortable being close to Lucas made her feel now that everything was falling back in place. With no wives or babies to worry about, it was just the two of them. And she was starting to come to terms with the fact that it will always be just the two of them, because in the end no one else came even close to perfect.

"What are you smiling about?" Lucas asked tenderly as she spotted the genuinely happy smile on her face.

"Nothing. Everything," Peyton said vaguely, "Just enjoying the view."

"I've missed your smile Peyton," Lucas said honestly as he softly brushed her hand with his.

"I smile from time to time Lucas," Peyton said teasingly keeping the mood light.

"I know. But it's been a while since something I've done have made you smile like this," Lucas said shrugging.

Not knowing how to reply to a confession like that, Peyton opted to remain quiet and enjoy the beauty and tranquility around her and before she knew it they were standing in front on the beautifully decorated table where they would be eating.

"Luke you've seriously outdone yourself," Peyton breathed as she took in everything from the intricately set table to the gorgeous candlelit center piece, "And you remembered?"

"Remembered what?" Lucas asked a little confused.

"White lilies," Peyton said in awe as she softly ran a finger down the soft petals of the bouquet of white lilies set in the middle, "They're my favorite flowers."

"Of course I remember Peyton," Lucas said feeling rather proud of himself, "I remember everything you've ever told me."

"And you've _got_ to trust him on that one," said a familiar voice from in front of them, "He does remember _everything_."

"Mouth?" Peyton asked stunned as looked up to see the grinning face of her friend, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh sorry, I didn't introduce myself," Mouth said doing a little curtsy, "My name is Marvin McFadden and I will be your waiter/DJ for the night."

"You're kidding?" Peyton asked awed as she looked from Mouth to Lucas to see if they were joking or not.

"Just go with it, please," Lucas said as he led her to her side of the table and pulled out the chair for her. Peyton looked like she was going to question him, but thankfully decided to drop the subject. There will be time for question and answer later.

"Here are your menus," Mouth said once they were seated and he placed two identical menus in front of them.

"Karen's Café?" Peyton asked surprised as she read the name on the first page, "Are we back in time or something?"

"Nah," Lucas said grinning, "Mom insisted that she make dinner for us, so I just used the name, you know for old time's sake."

"Your mom made us dinner?" Peyton asked grinning.

"Yeah, and before you get mad at me for overworking her or whatever, it was her idea not mine. I promise I tried to talk her—"

"Luke I am starving, and your mom made us dinner. Do you think we really need to talk about how it got here?" Peyton asked smiling.

"No, I guess not," Lucas said returning her smile, "And just so you know these menus are just for show."

"Yeah, I can tell. They only have one choice of appetizer, entrée and dessert," Peyton said rolling her eyes good naturedly, "I do appreciate the effort though."

"Here are your drinks to start the night," Mouth said as he appeared in front of them and placed a bottle of champagne and two glasses on the table.

"Thanks Mouth," Lucas said as he poured Peyton and himself some champagne.

"So what do we toast to?" Peyton asked as she gratefully took the drink from Lucas.

"To new beginnings would be fitting I think," Lucas said thoughtfully as he looked at Peyton.

"Well then, to new beginnings it is," Peyton said softly as she raised her glass to meet Lucas'. And just as their glasses clinked, her green eyes met his blue ones and in that moment she knew without a doubt that this was definitely the beginning of something new, something special. It was time to start over, and that thought scared her shitless and excited her at the same time.

"That was absolutely delicious," Peyton sighed contentedly as she wiped her hands. "I have never met anyone who can cook as well as Karen does."

"This was actually something new she tried. She wasn't sure how you would like it, but Dan said that it was absolutely amazing and anyone would be crazy not to like it," Lucas said laughing.

"Well I am glad I am normal then," Peyton teased, "But seriously this has got to be the best lobster I have ever had."

"I am glad you liked it," Lucas said leaning forward to grasp her hand in his.

"I am glad I came today," Peyton said softly, blushing slightly at her admission. It was true, the night had gone so smoothly that Peyton had to pinch herself twice to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She had almost forgotten how happy Lucas could make her.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me," Lucas said smiling as he brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her palm.

"You want to dance?" Peyton asked boldly once Lucas had let go of her hand.

"Sure," Lucas said, surprised but pleased that she had made the first move. He could tell that she was having a good time tonight, but it was things like this that made him believe that she actually wanted to be here, and that she was genuinely having a good time, and that was enough to put a big ass smile on his face.

As he heard a new track starting to play on the sound system, he softly took Peyton's hand in his and they made their way to the middle of the pier. Peyton put her hands on his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close to his body as they started swaying to the music.

**Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel  
like I am home again whenever I'm alone with  
you, you make me feel like I am whole again**

"No way," Peyton laughed as the song started. "The Cure."

"They're your favorite band," Lucas said shrugging, just cherishing the feeling of holding Peyton so close.

"You didn't have to do everything to my taste you know," Peyton said softly as she rested her head on his shoulder. She could feel his heart beating fast under her fingers, and it gave her a sense of pleasure to know that she was the only woman who could do this to him.

**Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel  
like I am young again whenever I'm alone with  
you, you make me feel like I am fun again**

"Yes, I did," Lucas said simply as he gently ran a hand through her blond locks, "This night was about you Peyton. This night was me showing you how much I love you, and how much I want- no need you in my life. This night was about you."

"Lucas Scott your words will be the death of me one day," Peyton said softly.

H**owever far away I will always love you**

**However long I stay I will always love you **

**Whatever words I say I will always love you**

**I will always love you**

"I would hope not," Lucas said seriously, "I want you next to me for the rest of my life, because I seriously cannot imagine going through it without you and Allison. But—"

"But?" Peyton asked sharply as she lifted her head off Lucas' shoulder to look him straight in the eye, "But what?"

"Well I was thinking that since this date is all about you, maybe our next date could be about me, you know? That way we'll get to know each other all over again," Lucas explained completely oblivious to the inner turmoil that one word had caused Peyton.

**Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel  
like I am free again whenever I'm alone with  
you, you make me feel like I am clean again**

"That was your but?" Peyton asked almost laughing out in relief. Her overactive imagination had completely gone crazy when he had uttered that word, and she had thought of a couple of pretty horrific scenarios before she even gave him a chance to explain himself. Guess these insecurities will take a little while to go away, she was still not completely sure of Lucas' intentions and that scared the crap out of her. Just after one date she was so hooked, there was no way she could take him walking away now.

"Yeah," Lucas said looking surprised at her sudden change in demeanor, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I am fine. Just got carried away for a second," Peyton said hastily putting a smile back on her face just as the song ended.

**However far away I will always love you however  
long I stay I will always love you whatever  
words I say I will always love you **

**I will always love you**

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lucas asked once again as they walked back to their table, "You seem a little shaken."

"I am fine Lucas, seriously," Peyton said smiling at his concern.

"Because if you're getting afraid that I am going to back out or something at this point, you can't be more wrong," Lucas said trying to put her fears to ease, she hadn't said anything, but he knew that she still had trust issues when it came to him. And that was okay, he deserved that, but he would do whatever he had to to assure her that this was the real deal. He wasn't going anywhere, not now, not ever. "I am not going anywhere Peyton, you're stuck with me for good. I have made enough mistakes, and trust me I have learned my lesson, you're it for me Peyton Sawyer, no one else comes even close."

"I am sorry," Peyton said softly feeling her throat tighten a little at the sincerity of his words, "I just have these trust issues, and I am trying to work through them but it's not that easy to let everything go."

"I know," Lucas said gently, "And you don't have to worry about anything Peyton. I told you once and I am telling you again, I am willing to wait as long as it takes to make you completely mine again. I know you don't trust me completely yet, and that's okay, I broke your trust, and it's not something that I can gain overnight, I'll have to work for that, and I am okay with that. But thank you for agreeing to go out with me tonight, it meant the world."

"Your welcome," Peyton said giving him a small smile, suddenly feeling as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "By the way, did you mention something about a second date earlier?" She continued offhandedly, enjoying the effect her words had on Lucas.

"Yeah, yeah I did," Lucas gaped. He was sure she had overlooked his earlier words and pretended he hadn't said them in the first place. He never thought in a billion years that _she _would approach the topic of a second date. Peyton Sawyer was full of surprises tonight.

"I thought so," Peyton said in the same nonchalant tone, "Well I like your idea, I just think that I should be the one who should organize it."

"Why?" Lucas asked curiously.

"Well tonight you showed me how much you remembered about me, so I think it's only fair if I return the favor," Peyton said shrugging.

"And you'll be okay with that?" Lucas asked cautiously. He knew he might have to kill himself for asking this later, but right now he had to be sure.

"Well obviously, I did suggest it didn't I?" Peyton asked looking at him like he was crazy.

"No, I mean about the second date part," Lucas clarified, "Are you sure you want to do that? And it's not that I don't want to, trust me there is nothing more in the world I would like more than going on a second date with you, but I just want you to be sure. I don't want you to feel like you're being pressured or something."

"Lucas Scott you're the most idiotic man in the world," Peyton said shaking her head at his uncomfortableness. She had expected him to jump for joy that she was taking initiative to move their relationship forward, but the guy was too much of a gentleman for his own good, "But to answer your question, yes, I am sure. I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't. I think after tonight this is the best way to move forward, slow yet steady."

"Peyton Sawyer I am loving you more and more by the second," Lucas Scott breathed as a huge smile spread across his face at her words. Finally, finally, everything was falling back in its place.

_I'm going to love you more than anyone  
I'm going to hold you closer than before  
And when I kiss your soul, your body'll be free  
I'll be free for you anytime_

"I had a great time tonight," Peyton said as she and Lucas made their way down the walkway to Peyton's front door.

"So did I," Lucas said smiling softly, "I know I have said it like a thousand times today, but I am glad you decided to come, and I hope I didn't disappoint."

"Well you certainly didn't disappoint Mr. Scott, don't bee too critical of yourself," Peyton said teasingly as she took out the house keys from her purse and quietly unlocked the door. "You want to come in?"

"I don't think that would be a good idea," Lucas said seriously, "I am already having a hard time trying not to rip your clothes and having my way with you, if I come inside, I won't be able to resist. And I know I haven't said it yet, but you look absolutely stunning tonight."

"Thank you," Peyton said blushing at his words and the way his eyes were roaming over her body, "You don't look too bad yourself."

"It's the Scott charm, makes us quiet irresistible," Lucas said cockily causing Peyton to laugh.

"Delusional much?" Peyton asked shaking her head.

"Hey it worked on you didn't it?" Lucas asked looking at her straight in the eye.

"Yeah, I guess it did," Peyton admitted honestly, "But the guy I am in love with is so much more than just a pretty face. So yeah the "charm" helps, but it's what underneath it that actually matters."

"You need to stop staying things like this Peyton," Lucas breathed out his mind reeling from what she had just said. She was _in love_ with. She just admitted that she was in love with him! This had to be a dream, "Because it only makes me want to kiss you, and I know you're not ready for that, so I am going to go now before I make a complete ass of myself. So yeah, goodnight." And with a quick kiss on her cheek, he turned around to walk away when-

"Lucas," Peyton called out softly.

"Yeah?" Lucas asked turning around, jumping slightly in surprise to find Peyton standing right in front of him, but before he could say another word, she stepped up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. The kiss was quick, soft, innocent, and very different from all the kisses they had shared before, but for that moment it was more than enough. It was a beautiful ending to a beautiful day.

"You just made my year," Lucas whispered softly in Peyton's ear, causing a shiver to run up and down her spine. "Goodnight Peyton."

"Night Lucas," Peyton said breathlessly still undone by the kiss. And as she watched Lucas drive away, she felt complete happiness and content consume her. Maybe, just maybe everything was finally going to be alright.

_I'm going to love you more than anyone  
I'm going to love you more than anyone_

_

* * *

_**A/N:** Well, I am officially back! It's been one whole year today from the last time I updated, and I am ready for anything you guys are willing to throw at me, because I know that I deserve all of it. I have many excuses that I can give you guys, but I don't think any of them will justify this horrendously long gap.

This is the first thing I have written all year, so I am not too sure how it turned out- actually in the original chapter I wanted the date to end in a disaster, but I thought that you guys deserved something a little better and more romantic after all this time! I don't honestly know how many of you will like this chapter, or remember what this story is about, or even continue reading it, but I hope that for those of you who did come back, you found this chapter satisfying.

Also, I am back for good! I am going to be focusing on completing all my stories before January- before I actually start college, and this fic will be my priority because there are only 2 chapters left till I am done with it (excluding the 2 part epilogue) and hopefully I'll be wrapping this up pretty quickly and moving on to my other stories from there. I know you guys have no incentive to believe me, but I will be doing my best from here on, and I would love to see you guys continue reading this so-adored fanfic!

Yesterday, I sat down and read every review this fic ever received- yes, all 1368 of them- and it made me realize just how many readers I have disappointed by not updating! Too Far Gone has received more love than I ever thought possible, and I adore every single thing you guys have/had to say about it! And to be honest, that is what pushed me to start writing again. I don't know how many of you have returned to complete this, but I knew that after everything I have put in this story, and after all the time you readers have invested in it, there is no way I can just leave it unfinished!

Feedback is loved as usual, so if you feel even a little bit forgiving let me know what you thought about the chapter!

Lots and lots of love and apologies, lilxjames

**Song:** _(1) More Than Anyone- Gavin DeGraw _(song featured through the chapter)

_ (2) Lovesong- The Cure _(song featured during the dance)


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